Master P doesn’t find anything funny about Google’s mix-up between his likeness and that of the legendary Luther Vandross. As a matter of fact, he says technology may have something to do with it.
“I know everybody tripping, Google thought it was funny mixing me up, I get it,” Master P, whose given name is Percy Miller, said during an interview with TMZ.
The mishap in question occurred in early July 2023 when the first photo that popped up for users searching late singer Vandross’ name was an image of the rapper instead.
His Message To Google
“This the picture, Google,” Master P stated on TMZ, as he pulled out a box of Snoop Cereal, his latest business venture he created alongside fellow rapper-turned-entrepreneur and longtime friend Snoop Dogg. “Stop letting AI run your company. This should have been the picture. Captain Ace. I look more like Captain Ace, you know what I’m saying?”
However, the No Limit Soldiers creator doesn’t want the noise to be about the photo mistake, but instead, about how the culture can continue to push ownership within their own communities, much like he aims to do with his stake in the cereal business.
“They made a whole big frenzy and made this go viral, but make this go viral,” he continued, advertising the box of Snoop Cereal. “We got to put money back into our community.”
View this post on Instagram
Master P continued: “It’s flattering though to be honest with you because they tried to distract the people, but we disrupting the cereal game. Two guys from hip-hop, me and Snoop, because when you Google, ‘Who is the first Black-owned cereal company,’ who do you think comes up? Broadus Foods, we’re the first to come up.”
Broadus Foods
As previously reported by AfroTech, Master P and Snoop Dogg made history at the top of 2023 when their joint venture, Broadus Foods, became the first Black-owned cereal company with a national distribution deal.
The Future Of AI
Although Google mixed things up between him and Luther Vandross, Master P made it clear that he has no intention of suing. Plus, the company has since updated the image.
“We source images for Knowledge Panels from a range of sources, including licensed image providers. In this case, the image we received was unfortunately mislabeled. The provider has updated the image metadata, and our systems now reflect that update,” a Google spokesperson responded to the matter in a statement shared with AfroTech.
As you may gather, similar to his peers, Master P has his eyes on the use of AI technology and he’s not shy about speaking publicly on its impact within the music industry. Fellow rapper Ice Cube has already said he plans to sue anyone who attempts to use AI to recreate his voice.
Still, Master P wants the culture to not get caught up in the hype of what social media runs awry with, but to instead remember that ownership will always be at the forefront of the father and music mogul’s mind.
Editorial Note: This piece has been updated to reflect a statement from a Google spokesperson.
