Master P isn’t ready to concede everything to the internet just yet, but that doesn’t make him an old man. The No Limit founder knows a thing or two about resisting instant satisfaction, and that discipline has brought him a Hall of Fame-caliber career, and a stretch run still to come.

“You can go online and hustle now,” says Master P, as he recalls the days when he had to fly to every city to drum up buzz for himself. “But don’t only rely on the online marketing. Because you still need to touch the people. I tell artists all the time, ‘You could be the biggest thing on social media or the internet, but if you don’t touch the people, it’s not going to be genuine love.’” P, who is in the early stages of developing a co-ed professional basketball league—perhaps drawing some inspiration from his West coast brethren Ice Cube—also recalled details about his own early come-up, which included turning down a $1 million deal from then-Interscope exec Jimmy Iovine.

“I realized, if this guy is offering me one million dollars, how much am I really worth? It must be 10, 15, 30, 40.” Turning down a seven-figure check for a daily routine of selling mixtapes out of your car? That’s the type of determination that birthed the No Limit era in the South.

“Miss Irene, she said ‘Bright Eyes,’ you’re going to be a star,” said Master P, as he reminisces on his early youth. That teacher was onto something.

With the 20th anniversary of Master P’s ‘Ghetto D’ approaching on Saturday, the self-proclaimed Mr. Ice Cream Man sat down for the latest edition of MASS APPEAL’s “Open Space” to reflect on his life, collaborating with Solange on ‘A Seat at the Table,’ the importance of giving back and “instant grits” rappers. Check it out above.

Drew Pierce

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