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By Janell Hazelwood | Published July 1, 2011 | Full size is 620 × 479 pixels

Master P was the first rapper to gain 100% ownership of his masters in the '90s, a feat that was not common in the entertainment industry. Many labels retained much of the publishing rights of their artists, so P striking a deal for full ownership was a groundbreaking milestone. The Southern hip-hop pioneer, who was also the first hip-hop artist to make $100 million, founded his own label, No Limit Records, in 1990, with a platinum-selling roster of talent, and was also the first Black rapper to own a cable TV channel, Better Black TV, 2009.

Master P was the first rapper to gain 100% ownership of his masters in the…