04 Dec 2011
Posted by Miss Kissy 
Loading ...
Tyler Perry may be a lot more gangsta than what you think he is. According to an interview done by The Grio with Melvin Childs, his drug money funded Tyler Perry’s career and like many others Tyler went Hollywood on him once he got on.
The longtime radio executive said nobody goes from homeless or sleeping in hotels to Hollywood’s highest paid man overnight. In his new book, Never Would Have Made It: The Rise of Tyler Perry, the Most Powerful Entertainer in Black America (And What It Really Took to Get Him There) he claims he used drug funds to launch Perry’s career — eight sold-out shows at Atlanta’s House of Blues in 1998.
“As far as the drug money is concerned, I mean everybody in the show knew what was happening,” said Childs in an interview with theGrio’s Todd Johnson. “It wasn’t a secret then. It’s not just me.”
Childs book, which details his relationship with Perry and all of the behind the scenes business deals he helped execute on Perry’s behalf, is more tempered than salacious.
“I have no ill will towards Tyler at all,” Childs insists. “I don’t necessarily know that I would call him a ‘friend’ at this point. Sometimes, success and money seems to change people and that’s kinda what this book is about.”
The Oklahoma City native says he first met Perry at a church in Montgomery, Alabama – and says the 6-foot-7 playwright was charming.
“Tyler’s a good man, I don’t even think people really understand how talented Tyler is,” Childs said.
But Childs is clear — talented people need money and connections.
“I see so many of these young playwrights…and most of them honestly believe that you can just wake up one day and do shows in the House of Blues,” Childs said. “And it’s just not true. It just doesn’t happen that way…and if you don’t have any connections and money and all those things, it’s going to be impossible.”
Childs, who still lives and works in Oklahoma City in promotions, says his account of Perry’s rise to fame is accurate. He said if there was anything in the book that wasn’t true, Perry’s people would have already seen to it that he get shut down.
In addition to promoting some of Perry’s first plays, Childs says he left his wife and kids for an extended period of time to ensure they’d be successful. He said he paid for Perry’s hotels when he had nowhere to stay, fronted him thousands of dollars when Perry had no money to pay his cast – and a long list of other expenses he says Perry never appreciated.
Childs admits he wasn’t the savviest of businessman and that his inexperience led to him being shut out of Perry’s empire.
“I have no one to blame but myself,” Childs said. “I trusted people that I shouldn’t have and was shut out.”
Asked why Perry didn’t stick up for him when it was clear he was being left behind, Childs shrugs but maintains he has no ill will towards him.
“I don’t think Tyler ever really cared,” Childs said. “[But] for me to sit up here and be bitter, that doesn’t do anything for my legacy…Tyler doesn’t owe me anything. And that’s it.”
VIDEO
Via The Grio
No comment
kissy did u see the article where jim jones mama coming out with condoms n a clothing line
so what ..lots of stuff was funded by drug money..is drug money good money..it’s money and if the drug dealers can live with what they r doing to their own community..then it’s just another part of life…..ronald regeans election was funded by drug money…heck america is funded by drug money..oil is a drug…
He’s just jealous! Tyler is the best at what he does! I don’t watch his films; but I refuse to knock him!
The point??????
Kennedy’s were bootleggers… So his point is? Lets not even talk about how much money is earned in tobacco and firearms. Both of them bein “drug money” BTW
@YaYa, well said.
I was about to say the same thing. Every dollar we encounter whether u are selling drugs or not is a model of drug money. And thats why they say ” MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL”
We need it to live but its all evil….
Money’s money drug money or not, That ninja worked hard for his piece of the pie. Maybe we can call it danger pay? ^.^
Don’t know just what this guy hoping to achieve but Tyler Perry has been entertaining the world, especially black people for some years now and this is not going to stop anyone from buying his good movies.
Seems like everytime a black man in this country does good, the(media) tries to tarnish their image!! I love all his movies, and I will continue to support all his work!#AmeriKKKaatwork
So what if it was!!! Mr. Perry has struggled to get to the top and now that he’s there…he has to be “brought back down” right? Hey, at least it was put to go good use instead of him buying a car that costs more than his home!!
And??!!
So what!?… NEXT!
And we’ve been hoodwinked by american government, but nobody talks too much about that….
This World revolves around Drug Money #Afghanistan
Well thanks Melvin glad Tyler put your drug money to good use. Too bad you didn’t because if you did you wouldn’t be running your mouth about it now. Now go sit in the corner, you are on time out.
could be some truth to hid story or maybe not BUT dude picked the wrong time to come up with it and it makes him look really, really bad.
Thatz the American way……..
Isn’t that how most politians get started..IJS
Tyler is responsible for employing and giving opportunities to minorities that Hollywood just cast aside.People like Maya Angelou & Cicily Tyson,Lynn Whitfield(just to name a few) that Hollywood seems to have no use for,have found employment with him.So you want to try and tarnish his name?..EPIC FAIL…
Owwwwwwwww Weeeeeee, speechless¶¶¶.
Owwwwwwwww Weeeeeee, speechless¶¶¶.
If we tested for marijuana for life insurance applications, we quite honestly and seriously would be extremely limited. And what of Bush and his cocaine use in college? To be fair, have not watched the video. As far as money being the root of all evil–I beg to differ. It is power without the humbling force of humility that is the force of all evil. One can do a lot of good with money. It’s all what you do with it.
so many hating mf’s. unbelievable. who gives a fuck. how the fuck do you think politicians and others get their fucking money. so who gives a fuck.
Wow! Unbelievable, but I am not surprised.