By YRS Jerzy
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
The past year has seen Romeo Miller truly find his place in the spotlight, a place Master P always wanted him. Like his father, Romeo was born in the New Orleans projects. Due to his father, like his father, Romeo left before turning thirty.
Watch any Master P interview, he always says Romeo inspired him to do better. He always says Romeo is how he wished he was and that his son is better than him. It is now coming into fruition as Romeo is making moves as an adult.
Before this, however, Romeo was making moves as a child. Barely even a teenager, Romeo ended up with his own Nickelodeon Saturday morning show. Many in this era don’t have “Saved By The Bell”-like shows, but Romeo and Master P made sure hip hop had at least one show to represent the struggles of an adolescent male.
Romeo starred in his self-titled “Romeo!” series, which is the ultimate hip hop coming of age story. The truth of the matter is that not everyone grew up like Tre (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) on Boyz N The Hood, surrounded by death and violence. Despite what some say, not everyone who grew up in urban areas influenced by hip hop grew up in poverty, committing crimes, and going to the worst schools, some people have something to lose.
“Romeo!” showcased this, as Romeo Miller’s self-titled character navigated a suburbia lifestyle as the leader of his family while his dad, Percy (Master P), worked long hours in the music industry. Like his father, Romeo aspired to take over the rap game and his sister, Jodi (Erica O’Keith), and his brother, Gary (Zachary Isaiah Williams) are by his side. They are joined by his best friend/adoptive brother, Louis (Noel Callahan), as his group.
Despite the hip hop undertone, “Romeo!” deals with topics that every boy becoming a man faces. Again, not everyone in hip hop lived the “gangsta” life and “Romeo!” was that show people could relate to. The difference the show had from others of its kind was that the main character was also an aspiring rapper trying to make it happen with the help of friends as family.
Nowadays, Romeo Miller can be found on three shows, two of which with Master P. He is on ReelzChannel with “Family Empire,” WEtv with “Growing Up Hip Hop,” and on “Empire” as Gram, where he is Hakeem’s (Bryshere “Yazz” Gray) main rival. But, before that, he was simply Romeo, who played as ‘Romeo,’ on “Romeo!,” making him the first hip hop kid with his own TV show.
Watch the “Romeo!” show theme song below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCApepJNuXw
Follow YRS Jerzy on Twitter @IAMYRSJERZY.
