For a long time, Li’l Romeo was just trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. When the old man Master P founded the No Limit Militia, what do you do besides try and be like him? That was the case for Romeo Miller, or as we know him, Lil’ Romeo. At the time, Lil’ Bow Wow was carving out a serious space for himself in hip-hop at just 13 years old. Rather than leave that lane of kids rapping unattended, Miller and his dad threw his hat in the ring.
Insert his eponymous debut album in 2001 with his hit single “My Baby”. Featuring his uncle Silkk The Shocker and others, the record did moderately well, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard 200.
Romeo Miller kept rapping, releasing a couple more albums and his fair share of EPs and mixtapes. But just like his father, he wasn’t satisfied with just rapping. While some fans might recognize him for his rapping career, older Gen Z adults will probably remember Romeo! on Nickelodeon in 2003. There, he played a fictionalized version of himself and leveraged his fame and attachment to Master P for 53 episodes across three seasons.
Romeo Miller Goes From Hip-Hop to Nickelodeon
Lil’ Romeo has continuously acted throughout his career, whether in Tyler Perry and Lifetime movies or in those infamous ICDC College commercials. Moreover, he kept tinkering with his many other talents. He never quite made it to the NBA like Master P, but he made it to USC on his basketball talent. At the time, he played alongside future NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, though not for long.
Romeo Miller also took up a little modeling and even launched his own clothing brand called College Boyys. The goal there was to provide something formal and nice without breaking the bank on clothes.
“I want to implant the same positive message to young boys as they dress themselves each day with a feeling of success. They can look in the mirror at themselves with a positive goal in mind for their bright future, knowing that going to college can make a big difference in their lives. College Boyys clothing style is classy, cool, and urban with a message: ‘It’s actually cool to be smart,” he said in 2010.
Turning 37 years old today, he’s just Romeo Miller, still making music, acting, and trying a litany of different things. He celebrated his birthday by sharing his upcoming album, New Lane, for pre-order.
Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images
The post Born 37 Years Ago Today in the Big Easy, the Rapper Who Followed His Famous Father Into Hip-Hop Before Becoming a Nickelodeon Star appeared first on VICE.
