Music mogul Master P is on a mission to turn his pain into purpose after losing his daughter to a fatal drug overdose.
In a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Master P sat down with Gayle King to discuss how daughter Tytyana Miller’s untimely death in May has since inspired him to spread awareness around the impact of substance abuse and mental illness.
“It’s hard,” he told King. “Coming from where I come from, coming from poverty, you would think that you would outlive your kids and that was the mission. I feel like, going to my daughter’s funeral, I feel like I went to my own funeral.”
“I’m gonna turn my pain into passion. I’m gonna turn it into a purpose because I can’t get my daughter back,” he added. “I love her and think about her every day, and it took me and my family to go through something that I just can’t stop thinking about, but I realize that I have to get out here and help and save other kids.”
The rapper notes that his daughter was showing signs of improvement on her road to recovery and was beginning to get “on the right track.” While their family remained hopeful that she would overcome her addiction, the impact of her untimely passing caused Master P to look inward.
The No Limit Records executive asked his children what he could be doing wrong as a parent, to which they shared that his parenting style could be “controlling” at times.
“That’s true, but I’ve only built parameters for protection,” he said. “Because I know where I come from and what I’ve been through. When you look at mental illness and substance abuse, it’s serious. It affects everybody — Black, white, Asian, Latino, rich, poor.”
“When I got that phone call I realized my daughter is never coming back, and that is the heartbreaking thing about this,” he added. “That’s why I said, ‘Let me team up with these [organizations and doctors.’] I want to help people that look like us. We want to bring awareness to [mental illness and substance abuse]. My whole purpose is now, ‘I don’t know why you put me through this God, but I’m going to get out here and save millions.’”
Master P concluded his conversation by advising parents with children struggling with substance abuse and mental illness to “talk about it.”
“Don’t hold this as a secret,” he said.