With the death of stars like DMX and Black Rob, the conversation around the concept of a rappers’ union has been reignited. During a recent interview with the Breakfast Club, rapper-turned-mogul Master P said he’s in favor of unionizing hip-hop but thinks there’s a larger conversation to be had.
Master P agreed with co-host DJ Envy that there should be unions and money management courses for rappers when they break into the industry. He thinks there should be some “self-accountability” for rappers as well.
“The thing is, we’re not holding self-accountability,” Master P said. “When I went to visit people in prison, I asked the warden—I say, ‘Why are a lot of these guys here?’ He says, ‘90 percent of the people here is ’cause of drugs.’ And drugs is killing our people, man. And we’re not holding ourselves accountable, so we like to blame it on everybody.”
In the wake of Black Rob’s death, a lot of fans believe the rapper’s former label head Diddy should’ve been more helpful in his time of need. Diddy will evidently pay for Black Rob’s funeral, but Master P thinks this rage is directed at the wrong person.
“You point the fingers at the Diddys and all that stuff, but what about the Jimmy Iovine’s and all these guys you don’t talk about?” P continued. “They the ones who got the money. Think about it: Diddy the middle man to these big corporations. … Those guys should be helping. Those guys made billions of dollars. Diddy might’ve made millions but he’s still the middle man to the gateway.”
Master P went on to explain that artists and entertainers should prepare for their futures instead of blaming the artists who signed up to be more than just a rapper.
“Everybody gon’ die. That’s what y’all got to realize,” Master P said. “Go find a job. … You got to figure something else out.”
Although Master P is emphasizing self-awareness and accountability, he does believe artists should look out for each other. He told TMZ just before DMX died that the rapper deserved more support when struggling with his substance abuse battle.
“I feel like hip-hop need some type of union,” he said. “The NBA have it. What happens when a guy fall off? After he done sold millions of millions of records—even a female—what happens? … Think about it, the NBA, when they done, they go to SportsCenter, they can sit around—where do hip-hop go? Go back to the hood.”
Watch Master P’s full appearance on the Breakfast Club above.
