No Limit Records

From a record store to a label

No Limit Records grew out of No Limit Record Shop, a store that Percy Miller, known as Master P, ran in Richmond, California. Master P founded the label in 1991 and used the store's knowledge of what local buyers wanted to shape early releases by himself, his brothers Silkk the Shocker and C-Murder, and Bay Area associates. In 1995 Master P moved the operation to his hometown of New Orleans, and in 1997 it relocated again to Baton Rouge.

The Priority deal and rapid growth

In 1995 No Limit signed a distribution agreement with Priority Records that let the label keep ownership of its masters while gaining national retail reach. Master P's “Ice Cream Man” (April 16, 1996) reached number 25 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. TRU's “Tru 2 da Game” (February 18, 1997) peaked at number 8 and was certified double platinum. The label's in-house production team, Beats by the Pound, created a consistent sound across its releases, and the label released albums at a rapid pace.

Peak years

Master P's “Ghetto D” (September 2, 1997) reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was later certified triple platinum, helped by the singles “I Miss My Homies” and “Make 'Em Say Uhh!” “MP da Last Don” (June 2, 1998) debuted at number 1, sold about 496,000 copies in its first official week and was certified four times platinum, becoming the label's best-selling album. After leaving Death Row, Snoop Dogg joined No Limit, and his “Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told” (August 4, 1998) debuted at number 1 with about 520,000 copies sold in its first week and was certified double platinum. In 1998 alone the label released 23 albums. Silkk the Shocker's “Made Man” reached number 1 in early 1999, and the roster also included Mystikal, Mia X, Fiend, Mac and Soulja Slim.

Decline and legacy

By 1999 members of Beats by the Pound and several artists had left, and sales began to fall. The Priority agreement ended in 2001, and Master P rebranded the company as The New No Limit under a distribution deal with Universal Records, followed by a short arrangement with Koch Records. Facing lawsuits, the label filed for bankruptcy in December 2003. Master P later started Guttar Music Entertainment and continued to revive the No Limit name in different forms. No Limit remains a reference point for artist-owned independent labels in rap, having shown that a company based outside New York and Los Angeles could keep its masters and still reach the top of the national album chart.