Rap master gives students a boost

Monroe Middle School gets a visit

When math teacher Bonnie Mwanda read that rapper and entertainment mogul Percy "Master P" Miller was in Charlotte to promote a new book, she sent him a question by e-mail.

How about stopping by Monroe Middle School?

"I thought it was a long shot," she said. "Sometimes they [celebrities] say they want to help kids, but it's a publicity stunt."

Thursday, the rapper whom the Guinness Book of World Records once called the "highest-paid entertainer in hip hop" spent an hour at the school speaking to some 800 cheering students. He discussed the importance of education, becoming financially literate and developing a vision for success.

Mwanda said she felt Miller would inspire a lot of her students since they come from similar backgrounds.

The student body at Monroe Middle, 25 miles southeast of Charlotte, is about 85 percent black and Hispanic. More than 70 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged, according to the state.

Principal Montrio Belton and his staff have worked to improve academic performance, and test scores are climbing.

Miller, who grew up in public housing in New Orleans, has sold millions of albums, made films and TV shows, started businesses and played professional basketball, including two exhibition games for the Charlotte Hornets.

He has also changed his image.

He recently launched a new label, Take a Stand Records, which features only artists who make music with responsible lyrics. The first release is an album without profanity called "Hip Hop History," which Miller made with his son Romeo, a recording artist and star of Nickelodeon's hit show "Romeo."

"Y'all know I started off on the wrong track," he told students in the gym. "The most important thing I've done with my life is clean my act up.

"I'm sorry for making the music that I made without thinking about y'all."

Before leaving, he made the kids a promise: "If the principal tells me y'all have a good year, I'm going to bring Romeo back to do a concert."

Several adults in the room covered their ears as the kids screamed and clapped.