Master P bails out his old grade school with $500,000 gift
Rapper Master P, who built his fortune on gangsta rap, has donated $500,000 to keepa Catholic school from closing and to help two nearby churches.
When Master P went to St. Monica Elementary, he was known as Percy Miller. But the school has been losing enrollment, costing the Archdiocese of New Olrenas $40,000 a year to keep it open.
But now the school will remain open, and the 125 students will not have to transfer.
Master P, 28, grew up in a housing project near the school and went on to become a rap star. His company, No Limit, is the highest-grossing independent rap label in the nation.
The donation, offered earlier this month, provoked days of discussion among church officials who wondered whether to accept the money, given the raw language and violent content of some rap music. Archbishop Francis Schulte decided to accept the gift.
"To me, rap music is a job," Master P said. "I talk about stuff that happens in the community. Some of it is good, some of it is bad. I just paint the picture like a movie, from beginning to end.
"Even if I was still doing rap solo projects, that shouldn't even matter. If somebody steps up to help male a way out for these kids, then that's something that the world should look at an say, 'You know what? He did a good thing.'"
