MCT CAMPUSPuff Daddy has been on the forefront of the hip-hop music scene for 15 years. Fifteen years of odd facial hair, a monotonic voice, questionable emcee talent and never taking off his sunglasses have equated to one thing for Sean Combs: an estimated value of $500 million and an impressive shag list including Jennifer Lopez and Kim Porter.
On one hand, Combs represents the best of American capitalism: the ability of an individual from a modest background and little privilege to rise, by virtue of his own talents, to the top of the list. On the other hand, Combs’ rise represents what many hate about the cultural elite: the extravagance, overindulgence, degradation of moral values and repetitive, brainwashing nature of commercial hip hop.
Combs is a businessman in every sense of the word. After his dismissal from Uptown Records in 1993, Combs became head of the Bad Boy label under the Arista family tree, taking with him friend and iconic rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as the Notorious B.I.G. Success followed rapidly for the label, and prolific artists were added to Bad Boy’s increasingly powerful lineup, including TLC, Lil’ Kim, Mase and Jadakiss.
Combs also had his own commercial successes, including the seven times platinum album “No Way Out.” He has been constantly accused of putting his own career in front of his label’s, especially by inserting himself into the covers, videos and singles of other Bad Boy artists. This has been a recurrent theme in the commercial fortune of Bad Boy Records, whose periods of success have largely revolved around Combs’ public appeal.
Success brought rivalry, and there is perhaps no greater one than the Bad Boy-Death Row feud that has characterized the 1990s rap culture. Suge Knight’s West Coast armada of rappers, including Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, clashed with Combs’ New York-based label. Infamous verbal volleys and death threats were thrown around, and former Bad Boy artist Tupac Shakur was recruited by Death Row after his bail was paid for (he had been accused of assault).
Things were brought to a dramatic conclusion when Tupac was shot and killed in 1996. Six months later, Notorious B.I.G. was also killed, in what many say was revenge for Tupac’s death. In the wake of this disaster, Combs and Wallace’s widow, Faith Evans, recorded “I’ll Be Missing You,” sampling The Police’s “Every Step You Take.” This was Combs’ biggest hit to date, spending 10 weeks atop the Hot 100.
Bad Boy experienced a period of fiscal upturn, as Mase’s album went quadruple platinum and hip hop became the greatest gainer in radio airplay nationwide. Bad Boy artist Shyne, while criticized for being a Notorious B.I.G. knock off, was one of the biggest sellers of the year.
But in the one-hit-wonder world of hip hop, fortune leads to failure, and Shyne was arrested in connection with a 1999 shooting outside a Manhattan nightclub where Combs and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were partying. Mase abruptly discovered religion and rescinded his contract, and Bad Boy began a four-year fiscal downturn, only recently rejuvenated by the stunning success of Making the Band 3 winners Danity Kane and Atlanta emcee Young Joc.
The 2000 trial of Combs for weapons charges started with the hiring of infamous O.J. Simpson lawyer Johnny Cochran and ended with a quick acquittal. He began to emphasize his mentor persona through the hit TV show Making the Band and through various social action campaigns.
Combs has proven himself to be much more than a rich singer. His generosity and call for social awareness have been the trademark of his public persona. In 2003, he ran the New York marathon and raised $2 million for charity. In the election year of 2004, his Vote or Die campaign was partially credited for increasing voter turnout among the 18-24 demographic by five percent.
Sean Combs now sits at the top of a media empire that is comparable to any other business in terms of power and recognition. Bad Boy Records has a value of around $341 million, and Combs has recently opened two restaurants as well as a Manhattan venue for his Sean John clothing line. Diddy’s newest album, “Press Play,” has just been released, and at 36, he shows no signs of slowing down.