May 20, 2007
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 video stations 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
