"The More We Make, The More We Give": Master P's Grocery Products Support Black Communities

Is there anything that Master P can't do? He transformed a small independent record store into a multi-million-dollar music label. He's the man behind New Orleans' Big Poppa Burgers. He played in the NBA and then bought a basketball league; he professionally wrestled and then bought a wrestling league. He's produced children's television shows, starred in movies, written books, and been on Dancing With The Stars. And now, he hopes to add another hyphen to his job description with a new line of "Uncle P's Louisiana Seasoned" food products.

In speaking with CNN, Master P said he had always assumed Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben were founded as Black-owned businesses. When he learned that they were in fact founded by white-owned food companies that deliberately used racial stereotypes for their branding, he decided to introduce a product that was not only Black-owned, but had a mission to empower the Black community at large.

"When you look at Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, a lot of those products are mockeries of African-American people and couldn't even feed our communities," Master P said to CNN. "With Uncle P, the more we make, the more we give. And the only way to give is by owning these products."

The new line of Uncle P's Louisiana Seasoned food products includes rice, beans, grits, pancake mix, pancake syrup, and oatmeal. A portion of the profits will fund education initiatives and assistance for the elderly in Black communities nationwide. Master P is also planning to use profits from Uncle P's to develop real estate in Black neighborhoods.

"If they made billions of dollars off Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, imagine how much we'll make to give back to our own community," he said.

The products quietly launched earlier this summer, but interest in the brand has grown since many major food brands have announced the retiring or "reevaluation" of their mascots, and now Uncle P's is working overtime to keep up with demand. Who wouldn't want to eat breakfast with the King of New Orleans?