no limit records break up

7/27/2019 No Limit Records Break Up

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Mr. Serv-On Recalls The Phone

Conversation That Broke Up No

Limit Recordsby JAKE PAINE

posted May 03, 2013 at 11:20AM CDT | 61 comments

Mr. Serv-On claims Master P and No Limit Records

gave artists the best contracts in Rap history. He reveals

how a speaker-phone and an upset executive

compromised an independent juggernaut.

In 1999, Mr. Serv-On's sophomore album,Da Next Level garned a #1 debut

on the Rap/Hip Hop charts for reigning independent label No Limit Records.

According to the New Orleans, Louisiana native who was with the label

since the mid-1990s, that was the year No Limit sold 22 million units. Sadly,

it was a year before the label suffered an artist exodus which was led by in-

house production team Beats By The Pound. In an interview this week withthe Underground Society online radio show, Mr. Serv-On explained the root

of the artist departureincluding his ownand how it greatly damaged No

Limit's legacy.

"The thing that really messed it up was when Beats By The Pound and

[Master P] got into the smallest thing," began Serv. "Man, and when I tell

you why No Limit [Records] broke up'cause he didn't get rid of people. He

did a few interviews out there. That was just [because] his feelings werehurt, 'cause niggas walked off. He'd be like, 'I got rid of niggas.' In '99, when

most of us walked off, we sold 22 million albums. You don't go and get rid

of niggas that helped you sell 22 million."


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According to Mr. Serv-On, Beats By The Poundwhich included KLC,

Craig B, Mo B. Dick and Odellstirred the pot with a contract dispute.

"This shows you how No Limit really broke up, and ended up levelin' off

and fadin': Basically, P was doin' a huge business deal. Contracts came out;

we didn't live by contracts, we lived by handshakes and wordblood in,

blood out. Our contracts was better than any contracts, ever. I own my

masters! We own everything. We got 50/50 [splits]. That's how real the nigga

played us, and we owned our publishing. He was a real dude with it. What

happened was, he had to get signed contracts to do this big business

transaction with [No Limit Records' distributor at the time] Priority

[Records]. When the contracts came, the producers were like, 'Man, I'ma get

a lawyer.'" Lawyers had not previously been part of the agreements in theNew Orleans-based street label.

Mr. Serv-On, who helped bring KLC and Craig B to the label before its

mainstream success watched his friends bring in legal counsel. "We had

people in our circle that weren't so-they-say 'street guys'and they was with

that bullshit. So one day [in a phone meeting], P was like, 'Man, they don't

wanna sign [the contract], fuck 'em!' The [lawyer had Beats By The Pound]

on speaker. And they heard it. P didn't really mean nothin' by it; he was just

gettin' mad, like you would with your homie."

According to Serv, KLC felt particularly slighted, after producing hits such

as "Bout It, Bout It," "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" and "Down 4 My Niggaz," all

major hits on top-selling albums. Mr. Serv-On explained, "[KLC and Master

P] was like [Dr.] Dre and Snoop [Dogg]. That kinda really fucked KL up, to

hear that." Master P and KLC reportedly had several difficult verbalexchanges following the phone conversation. "P being stubborn, wouldn't

apologize. KL was like, 'I'ma stand my ground.' So Beats By The Pound

walked away. P waited so long to say, 'Man, Serv, go call Beats, let's work

this out.' It was too late. They was gettin' deals." Beats By The Pound left the

label, working under the name Medicine Men. In recent years, KLC has


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worked with the likes of Bun B, B.G., and former No Limit artists Curren$y

and Mystikal.

Beats By The Pound's departure upset the roster at the label, which included

Fiend, Mia X and Magic, in addition to Mr. Serv-On. "When they walked

off, all the artists were like, 'P, we're not workin' with these other producers.'

In turn, that got him mad and whatever." Having reportedly brought Beats

By The Pound to No Limit, Serv admitted his difficult stake in the situation.

"I got caught in the middle, 'cause I brought the two main producerswith

the most hitsto No Limit. It was like, 'Man, get them back.'" Serv claims

that he went from a pupil of Master P in the label and A&R'ing to grunt-

work. "It went to, 'Aight Serv, what's going on? I'll holla at you on this, thisand that.' I was working on my third album, which the world never got to

hearwhich was just crazy. I went to turn it in, and it was kinda funny." He

deduced, "This shit ain't family no more...for me, that's what I came up

with." In late 1999, followingDa Next Level, Mr. Serv-On left No Limit. A

year later, he released War Is Me, Pt. 1: Battle Decisions on the small

independent label, Lifetime Entertainment. Interestingly enough, the album

featured extensive production by Beats By The Pound's Craig B. Serv admits

that while behind the scenes, his former label boss helped his career even

after No Limit. "He helped me in the backgroundstill got me deals and got

me situations overseas with clothing stuff."

Still, it all comes back to that one phone conversation. "Everybody walked

away...that big-ass conglomerate broke down because of two people that

were just too stubborn to sit down and talk, over somethin' that wasn't even

supposed to be heard: a 'fuck 'em.'"

Master P and son Romeo are currently revamping No Limit Forever

Records, now based in Los Angeles, California. The roster is said to include

Fat Trel and former Death Row Records hopeful Eastwood, in addition to

Master P, Romeo and Silkk The Shocker.


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