Bass hardly knew Percy Miller when he uttered those words about a longshot guard he was bringing into training camp. What he didn’t know – couldn’t know – was that Miller has spent his whole life making longshots come through.
Miller, raised in the worst ghetto in New Orleans, has risen from poverty to power broker. The 28-year-old is known as therapper Master P, one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry. He’s already succeeded as a recording artist and producer, filmmaker and agent. And now he’s trying his hand at the NBA.
Miller defies the image that mainstream America would paint of a brilliant entrepreneur – hat-to-the-back, the tattoo on his right arm that reads “Master P; I’m ‘Bout It, ‘Bout It,” the gold teeth beaming as he smiles.
And why shouldn’t he grin like the cat that ate the canary? He’s conquered every challenge life put in front of him. Poverty. Heartbreak. How hard can the NBA seem?
The Hornets have invited him to camp, and he has a reasonable chance of being on their roster when the season opens. The 6-foot-4 combo guard is already a millionaire many times over, thanks to the multi-faceted company he founded called No Limit. And the name seems fitting, because Miller doesn’t seem to have any.
“Basketball has been a passion. I’ve worked hard to get where I need to be,” Miller said. “Basketball is a big part of my life now.”
It was one of many skills for this jack-of-all-trades. But it was the one he always loved.
He played incessantly on the streets in New Orleans’ Third Ward. And while he grew up in The Big Easy, there was nothing simple or easy about being raised by a single father in the crime-infested Calliope projects.
“No, it wasn’t easy. It was real tough. That’s the murder capital of the world,” said Miller, who has seen that first-hand. But more on that later.
After a sterling high school career, Miller walked on at the University of Houston. He injured his knee and transferred to Merritt Junior College in Oakland, and it was in California where he began to make his name. He opened a music store, and after seeing the industry close-up but from the outside, forced his way in.
He began to rap under the name Master P, and even though he was largely ignored by the media and dismissed by much of the hip-hop world, the fans loved him. He didn’t have Brian McKnight’s voice or Premier’s beats or Q-Tip’s flow, but he brought a hard-knock-life experience that his fans could empathize with. And that was enough for them.
“I was just being myself. A lot of people change for the media or whatever. But I had nothing to hide by being myself,” Miller said. “And I’m real. [My fans], they’ve seen it, they’ve felt it. They can relate to it.”
They related to him and they supported him. And No Limit has grown until it rivals Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy music label and Russell Simmons’ Def Jam label. It has become a multi-faceted, music production and sports agency business. Miller raps and produces rappers, writes screenplays and produces movies like “I Got The Hookup.” He even serves as a sports agent. No Limit even has its hands in clothing, real estate and phone sex enterprises.
Forbes named Master P the 10th-highest paid entertainer in America last year, at $56.5 million. The Source named him most powerful man in hip-hop, just above Puff Daddy. That’s somewhat akin to unseating Bill Gates as the top computer mogul.
“[I’ve succeeded] because I believe in myself,” Miller said. “And when you believe in yourself, other people will believe in you.”
Miller’s latest album, “Da Last Don,” is his life experience set to music, including the song, “Goodbye to My Homies,” written in memory of his late brother Kevin.
“Da Last Don” is already quadruple-platinum. But “Da Last Don” will be the last album, because Miller has retired as a rapper. Now No Limit produces rappers like Mia X and new signee Snoop Doggy Dogg. And it also represents NBA players like Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson and Hornets rookie and Miller’s teammate Ricky Davis.
Mercer and Davis left superagents David Falk and Arn Tellem to join up with No Limit, and it was ultimately Davis who got Miller at shot at his latest dream. Davis’ father, Tyree, talked to the Hornet coaches, and after watching tape of Miller playing eight games for the CBA’s Fort Wayne Fury, they gave him a shot.
Playing in a recent exhibition game in Houston, Miller scored 23 points. And in last Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage he had nine points on 3-of-6 shooting. He handed out four assists, made just one turnover and played with the same intensity that he’s run No Limit.
“Basketball’s always been a big part of my life,” Miller said. “I rap with a lot of energy, and I put a lot of energy getting up and down the court. It’s the same style, on and off the court.”
As well as he played on the court, it may be his style off the court that has the Hornets buzzing. Last Saturday they drew 15,371 fans for a scrimmage they expected 8,000 to attend. They had to open the gates 20 minutes early for fear fans near the front would be crushed, and they had to hurriedly call in extra police to ensure the post-game autograph sessions didn’t get ugly
“Master P was our ace-in-the-hole,” Derrick Coleman said. “What a following that guy has.”
The question is how long will the ace stay in the hole? Teams can keep 14 players until Feb. 19. Something to consider: The Hornets need to sell tickets, and they open with four straight home games.
And even if they do cut him after that homestand ends Feb. 10? He’ll move on to the next mountain to climb, the next frontier to conquer. That is, after, what he does best – beat the odds.