by hameen sleek 00:30 april27
Percy “Master P” Miller had one of the most historic runs in Hip-Hop with his
No Limit Records
enterprise. Beginning in the early 1990s, the New Orleans native
dominated the landscape for much of the decade with a staggering amount
of product. Although many associate P with The Big Easy, he established
the No Limit brand in Northern California.
With his brothers
Sillkk The Shocker (Vyshonn Miller) and
C-Murder (Corey Miller), P formed the group
TRU and signed a number of California acts such as
Ea-Ski and
Lil Ric. Shifting the label to New Orleans, P signed
Mystikal,
Kane & Abel,
Mia-X, the late
Soulja Slim and former Death Row artist
Snoop Dogg among
others. Backed up by production squad Beats By The Pound, No Limit
spawned a series of copycats hoping to mimic the label's overwhelming
success.
It wasn't all music with Master P, as the mogul's film company
continues to release films independently in DVD format to this day. P
has been engaged in several business ventures over the years and the
introduction of the digital-only No Limit Forever record entity only
solidifies he's not going anywhere soon.
Hip-Hop Wired takes a look back at No Limit Records, focusing on what
some of the act's biggest names are up to today. Hit the next page to
read more. With over 60 signed acts, it was tough to nail down which
ones to focus upon. Let us know in the comments if we missed any of your
favorites.
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Photo: No Limit Records
No Limit's boss dropped his first album, Get Away Clean, in 1991.
Master P slowed down considerably in much of the 2000s and instead
focused on his son Lil Romeo and acting. P is back in a new group, the
Louie V Mob, with ATL rapper
Alley Boy and D.C.'s
Fat Trel. P also has an upcoming 13
th solo album set to drop this year.
Mystikal was one of No Limit's biggest stars although he had a short run with the label. The two albums he released with the Soldiers,
Unpredictable and
Ghetto Fabulous
both sold platinum. After making more hits and a host of legal
struggles, the rapper's momentum was nearly halted. However, Mystikal
signed with Cash Money Records late last year and is working on his
sixth album.
Mia-X was one of No Limit's early signees, releasing four albums under the label. Her third record, U
nlady Like,
sold gold. Although it was rumored that Mia-X would be making a return
to rap, she has officially retired according to an announcement made on
Twitter.
Fiend didn't work with No Limit long, but he was regarded as a potent artist for the label. After early collaborations with
Juicy J and an incredible string of “street albums” Fiend is now part of fellow hometown hero Curren$y's Jet Life crew.
Magic was supposed to be part of the
TRU rap crew,
but Master P had him focus on being a solo act. Magic left No Limit in
2003 as the label had gone into decline, thus starting his own outfit.
He continued to make music with singles released recently as last year.
Magic and wife
tragically lost their lives in a crash earlier this year.
After Snoop Dogg's bitter departure from Death Row Records, he landed
on No Limit in 1998 and fast became one of its top selling acts.
Releasing three platinum-selling albums during his brief stint, Snoop
Dogg left the label in 2002 and hasn't looked back since. Nowadays, the
lanky Long Beach native is known as Snoop Lion and embracing a
Rastafarian lifestyle. Snoop released his 13
th studio album,
Reincarnated, on April 23.
As Master P's brother, C-Murder had a pretty easy ride but he did
contribute. His first two records for No Limit sold well, but legal
troubles began to dog him. In 2003, C-Murder was convicted in the
shooting death of a teenaged boy in a nightclub. C-Murder is currently
serving life in prison, although several attempts to have the case heard
again have come to pass
Silkk's interesting, off-beat rap pattern made him unique if nothing
else. With a couple of platinum solo albums under his belt, the TRU
member continues to record although he hasn't released a proper album
since 2004.
Under the moniker Lil Romeo, Master P's son began his career at the
age of 12. 2001 After some modest sales, Romeo focused on acting after
debuting onscreen the same year as he did musically. The young rapper
also had a three-season run on Nickelodeon show,
Romeo! Now
23, the former USC point guard is continuing to make movies and music.
Romeo is also the president of the No Limit Forever label.
Mr. Serv-On only dropped two albums under the tutelage of the tank,
but Life Insurance and Da Next Level both sold well. Leaving No Limit in
2000, Serv-On never got back to his past glory. The rapper released his
last project, Internet Platinum, in 2011. A new track, "I Hate The Way I
Live Pt. 2," surfaced last month, however.
