Hip-Hop mogul Percy “Master P.” Miller was among the thousands of guests that attended Oprah Winfrey’s star studded fundraiser for Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama.
Master P., who is a frequent contributor to Obama’s campaign for president of the United States, attended the event to break down stereotypes about rappers.
Winfrey, who criticized some of rap music’s lyrics during the post-Imus backlash against Hip-Hop, hosted over 1,500 donors at her West Coast mansion, including the reformed gangster rapper.
“Just me being at the event was history for Hip-Hop,” Master P. told AllHipHop.com. “I was the only Hip-Hop artists there, just to let them know we have grown. We are not the problem, it’s a bigger problem. It’s a lack of education. We can’t just get rid of Hip-Hop in general. [Hip-Hop] is a way of keeping our kids off the street, it’s taken them out of the dope game, out of the hustle game and turned them into businessmen. We have to teach them and show them why we need to clean up our lyrics in the music. The kids coming after us don’t need to make the same mistakes we made.
Master P., born Percy Miller, is a reformed gangster rapper who has stopped using profanity on his albums.
In addition to founding the No Limit Records empire, which has sold over 75 million records, Master P. is the father of teen star Romeo, as well as the older brother of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker.
The mogul recently launched Take A Stand Records with his son Romeo, which releases profanity free Hip-Hop music.
“I constantly tell kids that I have sold 75 million records, but I couldn’t get an endorsement deal,” Master P. said of the effects of his previous lyrical content. “When you listen to music, it can influence your mind. We not gonna let no body take our money or the music from us, but we also have to respect out elders and listen sometimes. It’s time to grow up.”
The fundraiser also attracted stars like Sidney Poitier, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Forest Whitaker, Chris Rock and numerous others, who paid at least $2,300 to attend the event, which raised over $3 million dollars for Obama’s run for the White House.
“We definitely aren’t saying take away your freedom of speech,” Master P. clarified. “But we have to think about what we are saying. We have to grow up. Eventually every artist grows up. We are opening up avenues and revenue streams for these kids. We need to let them know its out there. What can we do take back our community, build entrepreneurs and run our communities. If we don’t do this, we are going to be lost on this planet.”
