Spinning Fortune and Crafting Futures: P Miller's Journey from Gary to Game Show Glory and Beyond

Speaker 1:
0:32

Welcome to the CJA.

Speaker 2:
0:34

Moneyway Show and I'm with y'all CJA Moneyway, let's get it.

Speaker 1:
0:42

Welcome to the CJA Moneyway Show. I'm here with my boy, p Miller, today. Tell us about that win that you had on Willa Fortune. I ain't never seen nobody going with a fortune that. I know that went on there and just did what you did. You killed it on that.

Speaker 2:
1:01

Thanks, man, I appreciate it. The whole story it goes way back. It's crazy how the story even started. Everybody that really know me, everybody that's in my circle, they know Willa Fortune is kind of like my thing. They're like man, this dude crazy at this. I saw him before the letters up there. I tried to guess what it is before the letter even come up. That's how it started. When I finally somebody had to talk me into getting an audition for the show, I never even thought about it. I just didn't think about it. I didn't think it was a possibility. Eventually my niece taught me into getting on it Once I passed the audition and they invited me out there to the show. I think I was kind of like over prepared. It was like one of the moments that you just waited for. It was like a layup. People were like were you nervous? I was kind of ready for it. It was crazy.

Speaker 1:
2:01

But, like I said, the people that's in my circle they know, when they find out, they're like ooh. P for the go, get it. What they expect me to do, I guess hey. So you said audition. So what did you have to do for the audition? Like how did that process go?

Speaker 2:
2:16

Okay, I guess since COVID they do it differently. Now it's a Zoom call and I think it's three people, so it's the producer of the show, one of the producers of the show, three contestants and all of the Zoom call and what they do is they do a toss up, so they'll have a screen with a puzzle on the screen and each letter will appear a little point by one, and the first person to say their name solves the puzzle with that. So we had to do that and we had to do an individual test. But again it was like 16 puzzles. We had to try to figure them out. It was like just puzzled with like a few letters in it, so we had to try to figure them out. So it was.

Speaker 2:
2:56

I mean, audition was kind of tough, man, because the crazy thing about it I don't know why, but I didn't even have my phone, my wifi, hooked up. You know what I'm saying. I have my wifi off and I'm wondering, like man, what's going on. So for like the first 10 minutes, man, I was struggling for the audition but I still ended up winning the little competition with the other three guys.

Speaker 1:
3:17

Okay, yeah, that was cool, man. When you sent me the link and I checked it out, man, I see how you just smoked everybody. Then you got the last one. Tell us about that trip you won, man. You know I ain't gonna, I ain't gonna let everybody get into your pockets on how much you actually won. Make them go to YouTube and go see the show, but tell us about that trip, man.

Speaker 2:
3:36

The trip was all that, man, I ain't gonna lie the trip. I actually just got back from the trip recently, man, the trip was to St Lucer Okay Island in the Caribbean, beautiful island. Man. I mean it wasn't all inclusive, but they give you a thousand dollars to spend your money, so you need about that For all of us. I mean, if you want to protect all the stuff and have some fun and do all the other things and all the hiding, man. But it was a well-needed vacation, man, I did. As far as the wind man, you know how it is when you want some money, as soon as you want the money everybody you owe you owe.

Speaker 1:
4:11

They come out the wheel, folks, man.

Speaker 2:
4:15

So I had to deal with that for a little bit, but other than that the trip was all that man.

Speaker 1:
4:21

Well, you know, man, that's the price of success. You know what I'm saying. You get a little money, like you say, everybody want to get in your pockets, you know. So I know. Going back to your background, man, you know, use a music guy, you know what I'm saying. So, coming up from the G, from where we came up from, so like when you was in music, man, like what inspired you? You know what I'm saying. Coming up, you know, like, was it the things that you saw, or the things that you actually experienced, or what drove you to the music?

Speaker 2:
4:51

I think music was influenced as an influence at early age, because I can't even remember not liking me.

Speaker 2:
5:00

I can't even remember not wanting to do some type of form of music. You know what I'm saying and I believe that came from my parents, man, but my mom are really man. She played a lot of music. My mom and my sister, they played a lot of music, man. So I grew up on all that stuff. It's funny, you ask, because I got to promote my joint. I'm doing a documentary right now. Okay, and this is the first. Right now I'm just finishing up the pilot episode and this feels back from my group and Gary, because we was one of the most influential groups in Gary. Okay, I'm gonna tell you it was 1989. The group was called show time possum, but it was when I don't know if you remember the East of Tyler shows, that that was west side of a year. Yeah, the citywide Tyler show, the Genesis Center, but we was burning all that.

Speaker 2:
5:46

You know, saying I document that I got Fitted to own footage of that so I document that just how that music and coming together with those guys in that camaraderie Kind of shaped me into the guy that I am today. So I just just basically a Explanation of who I am as a person and why it all starts from. That music has been in my life as long as I was able to talk.

Speaker 1:
6:14

Hey, man, that's what's up, though you know I'm saying the grass roots, like you say, coming up and it shaped you into the person that you are now. You know that's cool, man. When that documentary come out, man, you're gonna have to let me know. When it dropped. Man, you know I'm saying Okay, okay, you know. You know I promoted man. You know I'm saying that's what we here for. You know I'm saying that's what the moneyway show is all about. Bring a platform to to people like us. You know I'm saying that won't get one in any ordinary, ordinary spot. You know I'm saying so this is about us coming up in the gene. You know, northwest Indiana, hey, we all we got. Hey, that's how it is, you know, but you know how we are, though, man, you know I'm saying don't nobody want to see another Person have a dollar more than they got. You know it is hard to get the support out here from. It actually matters is harder to get the support from the people who you think Will support you the most.

Speaker 2:
7:21

You know I'm saying Okay, not just sitting, but the region, the area. You look at a lot of the reason they here pop blew up in New York the way it is because everybody supported you. You know I'm saying so. It didn't matter of. Nothing matters except the fact that they from New York, they from the Bronx, yeah.

Speaker 1:
8:04

And you know, even with that, you know sad, even with that being said, like it comes to a point where everybody Want to be the first one to do something, like we got Freddie Gibbs, you know, and he out there doing this thing, you know I'm saying, or whatever, oh, yes, a little, to give me out there doing this thing, out there acting and everything you know, and that's cool because that's what you're trying to do. You're trying to make it to do other things. You know, I'm saying, once you use your talents for one thing, it'll multiply into other things. You know I'm saying so Big, big ups to him. But like it's more, as it's more fast to the game to, you know, like everybody want to be a rapper and everybody want to, you know, say I want to grab the mic and they want to be the first ones to blow up in the G. But it's a lot of aspects to the game.

Speaker 1:
8:52

Like, dude, you know, say your rap time might be over with how about, uh, training up some of these younger cats and be a manager. Like I told one of my partners, I'm saying, instead of trying to be biggie, be puffy. Not, not the puffy, not the puffy. That's the puffy right now. Puffy puffy had a rough year, but uh.

Speaker 2:
9:20

I know what you're saying, though as far as there's like, like I said, when I say it's strictly numbers, that means District the numbers we can have a success in the tape uh uh label or some kind of home base In Gary alone.

Speaker 1:
9:33

Yeah, we can, we can there's so many people that.

Speaker 2:
9:37

But we, like I said, everybody wants to be. The one I'm doing is looking me. Look at me.

Speaker 2:
9:41

I mean I've been doing music all my life, man, and I've been out there, but I ain't never been like a look at me, cat, I'm just all about man. Look, I'm all about the art. Mm-hmm, I'm saying, and I'm not even about the fortune and fame, because I don't the fame. Be careful, what you wish for me. Yeah, fame is crazy. So you don't live a normal life. No, so I'm a technical advantage of this normality that I'm living right now. You know what I'm saying? Because once that fame hits, then your life is no longer your own life. Hey, there's no more than pride.

Speaker 1:
10:10

Yeah, you're right, man, and you know, like I'm gonna put it like this, not to say that you know I'm famous or you know saying this and that, but I've been doing a few things right, like on facebook and things like that. And uh, funny, man, that sometimes now that I go out, somebody to see me be like, oh man, I see you on that bank. Uh, that one episode man. Oh man, I love that. Keep doing so.

Speaker 1:
10:35

You don't know who watching you. You know, say, once you put it out there to the masses, you don't know who watching you. And so now you have to start being careful. You know what I'm saying. Like, like you just said, it ain't the same, no more. Like I gotta move differently Because, like I might have said something that might offend somebody.

Speaker 1:
10:54

You feel what I'm saying and not knowing who, I have an offended and they see it now they see me in person. It can jump off to something, you know. So it's a, it's a different realm, it's a different I'm. So I don't want to fame either. You know I'm not doing this for money, but whatever comes with, it comes with. You feel what I'm saying. But as far as the money, as far as the success man. You know it is what it is.

Speaker 1:
11:19

I've been, I've been broke my whole life, so that ain't the motivating factor in this. You know I'm saying it's just that, like you say, I want to see other people grow. And if somebody come on my show and Say, like P came on my show and he promoted his documentary, you know he promoted the new LP that he fit to put out, that go to the documentary. And if P come out and he go out and make five meal, I ain't hating on P, I'm getting with P like a bra. Show me some stuff. You feel what I'm saying. Show me some things, or help me work on this project that I'm working on. You know you always gotta surround yourself with people. That's smarter than you.

Speaker 2:
12:10

Exactly For just the normal every day. You know, I mean, it's people that create this, it's creators out here. It's creators, it's moves and shakers out here, man, so you surround yourself with a core group of people that's like minded and go already, like you are. Man, skies are living, bro. So I'm trying to collaborate, man, I'm reaching out, so I'm glad you got, I got a platform. Man, reaching out to all actors, all musicians, rappers, singers, whatever. Man, I'm trying to create music and I'm just trying to share my talent With others and collaborate. Man, let's blow this thing up, we well.

Speaker 1:
12:48

I feel you I'm glad that you said that off the air we're gonna chop it up a little, a little bit more about some things. You know I'm saying because me, my cousin, another little homie, I got we working on some stuff too. That's Fitting exactly what you saying, you know. So you know we all get together and, like I tell them, and like I was telling them, I want to get to the point. Like you know, set it, remember the movie, set it off before they went to Rob the bank and they were just sitting around that big round table.

Speaker 1:
13:16

You know what I'm saying, that's what I want to do, just us, when we sit around the round table making moves, making decisions you know what I'm saying and then bring them in for the money. Yeah, so, like you say, man, it's a lot of talent, there's a lot of creators, there's a lot of people that's doing different things. I mean movies, films, documentaries, that everything, man. So if we all get together, put our mind to it, like you said, you got to be with like-minded people, though that's not afraid to spend money need, because that's one of the issues that I've had with people we can get together, come up with an idea, come up with a plan, but then, soon as the money part get, even get crickets, you know what I'm saying People start falling off.

Speaker 2:
13:58

So you gotta be willing to invest in yourself. That's why it's like matter people all don't see the seat. Some people can't see the end of the tunnel. You know what I'm saying? Some people don't see the big picture, they just see the right now. But you gotta get like mind people to see the big picture and be like, okay, I'm willing to invest in myself and what I believe in this project. I'm hungry right now, man. So I'm really coming to people and saying, look man, look, I'm not the smartest guy in the world, I don't know it all, I'm not the most talented guy in the world, but I do know art, I do have creativity and I am willing to collaborate. Man, like I said, we can make something big.

Speaker 1:
14:33

Yeah, you know, I'm all for that man. Like I say, off air, we're going to get a chance. We're going to sit down, we're going to talk, because I got some things that's in the works or a couple projects. Like I said, I work with my cousin, a producer, you know Sam, making some five beats and everything like that. We was talking about doing a documentary out there in the hood. So, yeah, we definitely going to get together and chop it up on some things. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:
14:58

But, um, so, like coming from the G man, coming from Gary, like, like you were saying, like coming from Gary, we have challenges. You know what I'm saying, cause, like in the era where you was talking about 89, through that era, right there, we was considered the murder capital, you know, and but it was back capital. You know how they go, because our city, our city, wasn't as big as Chicago or Los Angeles or nothing like that. But like, we came through that era, you know cause we both graduated with 92. And so we came through that era where you had to watch yourself cause people was dying every day bro.

Speaker 2:
15:39

I touch on that, on the documentary, a lot as far as that era. I say that era was the most dangerous era for young black males because it was the heart of the crack era, the heart of it. And it was the heart of the gang banging area, man. So at that point in time, man, if you were young black male between the ages of 13 and 19, you didn't have a lot of choices depending on where you stay. You didn't have no choice.

Speaker 1:
16:04

Yeah, exactly, and that was even on us too, the way that you moved around the city. I mean, back at that time, that's when Gleason was jumping off. Gleason was jumping off big time, like Kretschoff, and not only that, that's. You know. We had the clubs, we had Infect, we had you know that's when Infect was jumping off for our age down there in Tri-City, and so it ain't that that we didn't move around, it ain't that. You know what I'm saying? We shied away from certain things. It was just that, by the grace of God, I will say that, by the grace of God that we still sitting here today to be able to tell our story, because there's so many others that's not here that did the same things that we did, but that's not here to tell any stories, though, and so that's nothing but the grace of God. Right there, bro.

Speaker 2:
16:51

I'll praise you through the God man for that, Because I tell my children that, I tell my grandchildren that, like, hey, I beat the odds, so I know I'm meant to be. I got a purpose on this earth for something. Yeah, beat the odds, and my purpose ain't done yet. It's not to win a winner fortune. That was just a-.

Speaker 1:
17:09

Yeah, stepping stones, he got it.

Speaker 1:
17:11

You know what I'm saying Stepping stones, and that's what life is all about. You know what I'm saying. You go through things. You had trials and tribulations. You go through the fire and but you know, I'm realizing now, and I know now didn't know then that even in the fire, man, he with you, you know, I remember, I think, of the Hebrew boys, when they went in the fire and they kept cutting it up, but you know, it was a fourth one with them and they say, well, you know, that was Jesus, and I know, coming up in the city man, coming off of Fort Nile and coming raised up in Marshalltown, we went through some things, man, but even at the same time going through some things, there were certain things that I just didn't do. You see what I'm saying, it's like it's just certain moves and certain ways that I just didn't. It wasn't appealing to me and that too made us saved our lives too.

Speaker 2:
18:02

I get props to my parents, man. I mean, they knew what was going on around me and they know I was the only boy in the house. I had two older sisters, so they knew like hey, what was going on around? Me. But I think they also recognize that I was a pretty smart kid, no sense, and I knew I made right decisions. I mean, I wasn't perfect, I messed up a lot man I had a title 20 and all that, man.

Speaker 2:
18:22

But as far as street smarts, as far as knowing, as far as how to recognize danger and all that, that's God telling me what to do back then. That's why I'm still here, that's why you still here.

Speaker 1:
18:43

Exactly.

Speaker 2:
18:45

It was a rough era, bro man, Just think about it. Me and you, we the same age. We were a lot, a lot of our cats didn't make it.

Speaker 1:
18:52

Man. They didn't make it either due to getting killed in these streets or going to jail, you know, for the rest of their life. So so, like you say, I grew up in a two-parent home too and, lord knows, I made mistakes, you know, did a lot of things, but it was just certain things and certain. I ain't gonna even say places, but I've been to places, I've been to some projects, you know what I'm saying Chasing that thing, you know. Whatever, whatever.

Speaker 2:
19:17

You knew how to move them.

Speaker 1:
19:18

Hey, called Back then. A lot of times I moved solo. I moved solo In and out. You know what I'm saying. And then I had a ability to relate to people. You know what I'm saying. Like I'm not coming in, like I'm this high, mighty cat, you know I can play in there with anybody. Oh, you want? Oh, we playing space today. Oh, let's get it in. You know what I'm saying. Oh, hey, man, can you go to the liquor store for us? Hey, all right, whatever, you know what I'm saying. I mean, I was able to adapt to whatever situation I was in and I was able to get out of some stuff because I wasn't coming in gung-ho. You know what I'm saying. Whatever, whatever, you know, you know, that's man. We grew up in that fightin' age. You know we were fighting, we was this fighting. Back then Things got a little different.

Speaker 2:
20:07

That's what it was about. It was about these, man. These weren't pullin' no pistols back then, but I'm catchin' what a pullin' no pistols back then.

Speaker 1:
20:14

Nah, either you were gonna get hit in the mouth or you were gonna hit somebody in the mouth. It was plain and simple, you know.

Speaker 2:
20:19

Now what man it was jumping cats back in the days, I ain't no lie.

Speaker 1:
20:23

Oh, I know I got jumped in the eighth grade. You know I got jumped in the eighth grade. So yeah, I know about being jumped, but I got.

Speaker 2:
20:31

You're shooting no fellas all the time. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:
20:34

Oh no, you know what I'm saying and you know what. And that's life, though Life ain't fair. Sometimes, you know, you get beat up and you get jumped in life, but that don't mean that you quit. You know what I'm saying. It don't mean that you quit. It don't mean that you a punk. I mean, I've even had fights and I've lost a few, but I probably won more than I lost. But you win some, you lose some.

Speaker 2:
20:58

And you gotta take the bill, the ban, take the criticism, the straights, take the ails, but don't take them as losses, take them as lessons, man.

Speaker 1:
21:05

Lessons. I bet you won't give me like that. I bet you won't give me like that next time. I bet you won't give me like that next time. Yeah, I'm gonna see that one coming. But so, yeah, you know, coming up in the hood, the movie. So another thing that we got in common we both worked at the boat, we worked at the boat. So we worked at the boat back in the day you know what I'm saying and I just got through working with you about a year or so ago, about a year and a half ago. That's how I guess.

Speaker 2:
21:36

Do you?

Speaker 1:
21:36

miss it. Do you miss it? No, no, no, not at all, not at all, not at all. You know what I'm saying. Not at all. You know that would be that's one of my last results. You know, if I ever had to, if I, you know, I'm not gonna be without a job, cause one thing, even not doing it, one thing that we've gained over the years is experience, so we can go on anybody crap table and get a job at the casino Anywhere anywhere. But so, like my thing is, I wanna ask you and we'll just end it on this the difference between people gambling 20 years ago then these present day gamblers, like, what is the difference to you? You know that makes you not wanna go back and do it again, cause I know what the difference is for me.

Speaker 2:
22:24

I think okay, 20 years ago. Okay, I started I think 96. That's almost 30 years.

Speaker 1:
22:30

Well, yeah, we was in the game a long time, cause I started May 96.

Speaker 2:
22:34

The one difference I can notice straight up is like, see back, then it was new, so people were more accustomed to gambling, so there was an excitement to it and it was. It was kind of like you know, there was more appreciative of the service. So I think today is more. A lot of people don't call it on. A lot of people have become degenerate gamblers. A lot of people have become. It's become happy For a lot of people. It's become a lifestyle for a lot of people. Exactly, I think a lot of the, the, the customers, a lot of the gamblers. They don't look, they just got blinders on man, they just thinking about themselves at the point, so they mad at the world, the appreciation for the service that we do. You gotta understand these people. We was working at the boats through holidays, sacrificing time with our families in those days because in the casino business they got what they call blackout days.

Speaker 2:
23:27

Yeah, that means you can't call off. I mean what, if you call off, you turn it you know Like three points or something like that.

Speaker 1:
23:34

you know what I'm saying Back in the day. Three points on a five point system.

Speaker 2:
23:37

That's what I'm saying. So they make it real hard for you that. They make me have to make a tough decision. I think the customers now, man, they just trying to get over, trying to steal that every, every, every half a year they can get. They gonna take every shot in the book, Every shot in the book. And the thing about this, when I came there with you and I, you know we was on the table together. Yeah, we know every shot in the book.

Speaker 1:
23:59

Come on, man, they're doing this too long. You know what I'm saying. They're doing this too long, bro. I mean, like, like we might be new here, but I ain't new to the game. Exactly, I've been in the game longer than you've been born, bro, you know. So I mean, but I feel your sentiment on that because, like you say, like in the beginning I felt like people was like the average person they work in. You come to the boat, have a good time, we're in a lose. It was what it was. But nowadays you got these younger guys and I think that's what turned me off at this last gig that we was at that you got all these younger people coming in and, like you say, they just mad at the world because they have made this.

Speaker 1:
24:43

Gambling is just not a social thing. This is their life, this is their livelihood. You know, if they don't hit 7-11 or hit that the top peril and all that type of crap and all of nothings, they ain't got nothing. You know what I'm saying. But then, yeah, and still they coming to the boats Every day, Every day, Every day. And here it is. I got a job. It can't come to the boat every day and gamble, and so it's just the difference, man. You know other people. You know, even on our side, gamblers, even on our side, as being dealers. They don't respect the craft, Not at all. You coming in, you going on your brakes, getting high you know what I'm saying, or whatever. You know.

Speaker 2:
25:31

Like back in the days, man, it was you respected the craft because it was new, it was brand new to everybody. Pat Camden, out here from Vegas and Atlantic City and taught these classes and taught these dealer classes and opened up these casinos, man, and we respected them, guys. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, and we respected the trade of command man. Somewhere along the way that got that lost his way too, man, because it started, they started showing a lot of favoritism and putting people in position that shouldn't be in position, and then they, they let their bias and then they BS come through, man. So, yes, it's changed a lot, man.

Speaker 1:
26:08

Like you saying, you know the chain of command, because people like, when we came to that spot, we was dealers. But people don't know, man, we had already. We had already been to that level. You know what I'm saying. We had already been to different levels in the casino. Because the casino industry is all about experience and the more experience you get, the higher you go. We've been to that spot. I didn't want that spot no more, because I didn't want to deal with you know what I'm saying Like giving out comps every day knowing that they ain't got nothing in the comp, in the comp book, you know. But sometimes we used to look out for folks and you know what I'm saying this and that, but the whole atmosphere changed when you see the same people all the time at all the same casino. And because I worked at every last one of my right one of them around here, except for Blue Chip. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2:
27:02

And so I didn't work at Blue Chip, but I ain't working with you All the rest of them. I was there.

Speaker 1:
27:07

I did the horseshoe twice, you know, but it's just a different atmosphere that I do not miss at all, brother, I do not miss it at all. But yeah, man, I appreciate you spending this time with me, man, taking time out your day, coming on a money-weight show man, and telling us about your experience on the Wheel of Fortune and your new projects that's coming out, man, we're gonna be looking forward to that. And thanks for coming by. Anything else you got to say, man?

Speaker 2:
27:33

Hey, man, just wanna thank you for helping me. Man, you know you, my god man, we gonna wait back. Yeah, you know, I've been waiting to chop it up with you anyway, man. So we gonna do some more chopping up offline, behind the scenes, man. So, looking forward to whatever we got coming, man, it's gonna be dope.

Speaker 1:
27:48

Hey, for sure man. Hey, I'm gonna get at you, man. We gonna talk soon about that. All right, man. Appreciate you bro. Listen man, I know it's a good time. It's good bro, it's good, it's good bro, it's good bro, it's good bro, it's good bro, it's good bro.