Rapper-entrepreneur Master P released an open letter in response to
comments made by Curtis Jackson at a recent BET press conference.
IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE
Curtis Jackson’s comment motivated me. There are a lot of immature
people in the world. Oprah Winfrey is absolutely right, we need to
grow up and be responsible for our own actions. I paid for Curtis’s
first rap tour through the south. He was such a humble guy at the
time. Most artists’ mission is to sell records. My mission is to help
save and change lives. There’s a lack of knowledge and false
information out there. I could actually say Little Jay and Rap-A-Lot
Records inspired my successful career and I will always respect them
no matter what. I wrote the blueprint for this generation. The only
difference is there’s no more honor and respect in the game.
Think about it: people in jail are not writing letters
proclaiming to come out and do the same thing that landed them there
in the first place. People in the hood don’t want to stay poor for
the rest of their lives. They want to change. Parents that really
love their kids would rather sacrifice their own lives so that their
kids could make a change to have a better life and a better
education. I’m glad that there are people like Al Sharpton, Jesse
Jackson and organizations like the NAACP that are out there fighting
for our rights and dignity. I have finally realized that EVERY person
is either a part of the problem or part of the solution and that is
why I have decided to take a stand! I’m reaching out to corporate
America to form an alliance for the sake of putting the value back
into our communities by rebuilding and developing schools and
businesses.
First of all, it’s simply disappointing to see people
that are in a position to help make a change just sit back and
entertain the negativity. It’s sad to see Steven Hill set all of
these programming standards at BET, just to contradict himself for
the sake of marketing dollars or artist performances in order to
create the appearance of a successful award show. The record company
with the biggest marketing check controls the music vidstations so
we need to go after the people who actually control these programming
networks if we want real CHANGE.
I guess by taking a stand, my son and I will probably not be invited
back to the BET Awards. But it’s O.K. I got love for BET; there are a
lot of good people there. Hopefully, this will help people to see the
real changes that need to be made. My son and I will sacrifice our
airtime because this is bigger than us, this issue desperately needed
to be addressed a long time ago.
There are four things that differentiate me from artists
like Curtis Jackson.
One, I can honestly admit that I was once part
of the problem.
Two, I don’t want my son to grow up and be like me. I
want him to be better and do better – and that is why he is taking
the time to pursue a college degree.
Three, money don’t make me, I
make money. My goal is to educate our people in building generational
wealth and knowing how important it is to own real estate.
Four, I’m a TRUE entrepreneur; my boss is God not Jimmy Iovine. From one
brother to another, if you misunderstand my purpose you could always
pick up the phone or talk to me in person. I’m trying to be part of
the solution not the problem. The media thrives on entertaining,
especially the negativity no matter what the cost. I’m praying for
the brothers that are lost out there.
Throughout the years, I have lost so many relatives and
friends. This year, I’d like to focus on the comedy movies because we
need to laugh more. The first movie that I’m producing is “Black
Supaman” and thereafter will be “The Mail Man” starring Tony Cox and
myself. I’m setting up a book tour for “Guaranteed Success” and a Hip
Hop Business class with financial expert Curtis Oakes for those
seeking knowledge. I understand that I can’t change the whole Hip Hop
industry; I’m only trying to do my part. If you’re real, be a part of
the positive movement with Take A Stand Records.com Look for the
first single “I Wanna Be Like You” from the album “Hip Hop History.”
I’m in negotiations with Wal-Mart and Target for direct distribution.
Those are all examples of the positive difference I am trying to make
in this industry.
I’m reaching out to my friends Shaquille O’Neal, Will Smith, Russell
Simmons, Queen Latifah, Derek Anderson, Charles Barkley, Emmitt
Smith, Beyonce, and Reverend Run to help contribute to this positive
movement. I will also be holding a press conference with the
president NAACP and will be able to answer any questions at that time.
I am not asking any other hip-hop or gangsta rap artist change what
they do; that’s how they make their money. Furthermore, I am not a
preacher; I’m just telling the world what I’m doing and the changes
that I am making because it’s something I want to do. If that’s
sending mixed signals to people then they need to deal with their own
conscience first.
P. Miller
The
views expressed inside this editorial aren’t necessarily the views of AllHipHop.com
or its employees.
