1991–1995: Beginnings Percy "Master P" Miller began his career distributing his records through a small California Bay Area record label, "No Limit Record Shop", which started out in
Richmond. After signing Oakland rapper Dangerous Dame, who released the EP
Escape from the Mental Ward through No Limit, he began working with New Orleans–based talent, starting with
Kane & Abel (then known as Double Vision).
1995–1999: Successful years and Priority deal In 1995, Master P officially relocated No Limit to his birthplace of New Orleans, Louisiana, while retaining his brothers and several California rappers like TRU member
Big Ed, King George and Calli G on board. He then added local talent to his roster such as
Mystikal,
Mia X,
Kane & Abel and
Mr. Serv-On. No Limit then signed a distribution deal with
Priority Records, while Master P maintained ownership of his master recordings and recording studio. He became the label's main artist, releasing
Ice Cream Man in 1996 and
Ghetto D a year later. By 1997, No Limit had gained momentum with bestselling, if not critically acclaimed, releases from multiple artists. In May 1997, No Limit released the
soundtrack to the film ''I'm Bout It''. The album featured appearances from much of the label's roster at the time of its release. In addition to featuring the label's original artists, the album introduced new artists now signed to No Limit. These artists include
Baton Rouge, Louisiana artist
Young Bleed, Oakland-based pair
Steady Mobb'n, R&B quartet and production group
Sons of Funk,
Mac,
Prime Suspects,
The Gambino Family,
Mercedes and former
Big Boy Records artists
Mystikal and
Fiend. The album was a commercial success, being certified Platinum by the RIAA. No Limit also had success with albums like TRU (Tru 2 Da Game), Mia X's
Unlady Like, which went gold despite producing no hit singles, and Mystikal's platinum-selling
Unpredictable. That same year, No Limit moved from New Orleans to a corporate headquarters in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The label also acquired their first marquee name in
Snoop Dogg, on the heels of his acrimonious split from
Death Row Records. His debut album for No Limit,
Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, was the most successful release in the label's history at the time, selling over half a million copies in its first week and certified double platinum in less than three months. As No Limit's popularity and mainstream coverage increased, so did its roster. The label signed producers DJ Daryl, Randy Jefferson, K-Lou & Dez as well as Master P's main production team,
Beats by the Pound (
KLC,
Mo B. Dick, Craig B, Odell, and
Carlos Stephens), in addition to solo artists
Soulja Slim,
Full Blooded,
Magic,
Skull Duggery, Short Circuit,
Ghetto Commission. Together they put out 23 albums in 1998, 10 of which went platinum and 11 gold, in some instances their only releases on the label. Master P's own LP that year,
MP da Last Don, reached number one on the
Billboard 200 after moving 495,000 copies in its first week, and sold 4.5 million units overall, making it the best-selling album of his career. In January 1999, No Limit Records released Silkk the Shocker’s third studio album, Made Man, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album features guest appearances from No Limit artists Mystikal, Fiend, Master P (who also served as executive producer), O'Dell, Sons of Funk, C-Murder, The Ghetto Commission, Mia X, and Snoop Dogg. Production was handled by No Limit producers KLC, O'Dell, Carlos Stephens, Craig B., and Sons of Funk. That June, No Limit TRU released their fifth studio album, Da Crime Family, which debuted within the top five of the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. 1999 also saw the departure of many No Limit producers and artists. In 1999, Beats By The Pound members Odell, Craig B, Mo B. Dick, and KLC left No Limit due to a dispute with Master P. As a result, KLC's project,
Hits By The Pound, scheduled for a September 14, 1999 release through No Limit, was consequently shelved. Mia X left No Limit and went on a musical hiatus to take care of her family. Kane & Abel were dropped from No Limit in 1999 due to their investigation involving drug activity. Sons of Funk, Steady Mobb'n, Prime Suspects, and The Gambino Family all parted ways with the label.
2000–2003: Roster exodus, decline, The New No Limit, and final years In 2000,
504 Boyz album
Goodfellas made it big on the Billboard peaking at #2 on the
Billboard 200 making No Limit a small factor in the 2000s, but in 2000 only Master P, Snoop Dogg, C-Murder, Silkk, Magic, and Mac remained from their most celebrated artists. By 2000, Mr. Serv-On and Big Ed had left the label. In 2001, the label lost Mac to prison after he was convicted of manslaughter in connection to a nightclub shooting; he was ultimately sentenced to thirty years in prison on September 21, 2001. Snoop Dogg had left No Limit after his three-year contract with No Limit expired, and C-Murder distanced himself from No Limit to focus on his own label, TRU Records. In 2001, No Limit's deal with Priority expired, and No Limit subsequently signed with
Universal Records for a $10 million distribution deal. After the signing, Master P renamed No Limit to
The New No Limit. The New No Limit's roster included Master P, Lil Romeo, Silkk The Shocker, 504 Boyz, Magic, and Choppa. Releases on The New No Limit under Universal failed to achieve the same success as the previous incarnation of No Limit. On December 17, 2003, the company filed for bankruptcy due to various lawsuits, and Master P then sold the catalog. ==Reorganization==