Sean "Diddy" Combs Biography
Birth Name: Sean Combs
Birthdate: November 1, 1970
Birthplace: Harlem, New York
Occupations: Musician, Producer, CEO
Claim to Fame: Produced Mary J.
Blige's multiplatinum debut album, What's the 411?; regarded as
the seminal example of hip-hop/R&B fusion (1992)
Significant Other(s):
Jennifer Lopez, actress, singer;
together
1998-February 2001
Kim Porter, model
Wife: Misa Hylton, hip-hop fashion
stylist; divorced
Combs' Family:
Father: Melvin Combs; died
1973
Mother: Janice Combs, model
Son: Justin Combs; born 1994;
mother, Misa Hylton: Christian Casey Combs; born 1997; mother, Kim
Porter
Diddy Bio:
Earned his previous nickname
"Puffy" as a
member of his high school football team; he "puffed" out his chest to
make himself look stronger than he actually was
Currently goes by the moniker "P. Diddy"
Call him what
you like, but the fact is P. Diddy is responsible for more classic
hip-hop records than most MCs, promoters or producers could ever hope
to be. From hardcore landmarks like Biggie’s indelible Ready to Die album and cuts like “All About The Benjamins” and “I’ll Be Missing
You,” to infectious remixes for the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J.
Blige, his resume more than speaks for itself. And that’s without even
getting into his fashion empire and fledgling (but promising) movie
career.
Sean Combs was born on November 4,
1969, in Harlem to Melvin and Janice Combs. The murder of his father
when he was just two years old forced his mom Janice to move Sean to
Mount Vernon, New York. Sean attended Howard University in Washington,
D.C, but his life took a dramatic turn when he took an internship at
Uptown Entertainment, where he met the man who would become his mentor,
industry leader Andre Harrell (former President of Bad Boy
Entertainment). Shuttling back and forth from Washington D.C. to New
York City, Combs' energy and commitment earned him the leap from intern
at Uptown to Director of A&R at the age of 19.
Shortly thereafter, in 1991, he
engineered the careers of Uptown artists Jodeci and Mary J. Blige,
producing their music and influencing their image by tapping into the
style and flare of urban youth. This combination ushered in the new
musical genre of hip-hop soul. In 1993, Sean left Uptown , but he
reemerged later the same year with his own company, Bad Boy
Entertainment. The company's big break came with Notorious B.I.G.'s
multi-platinum debut Ready to Die. Bad Boy quickly took off,
signing, developing and producing such acts as Faith Evans (then wife
of Notorious B.I.G.), female trio Total, and male vocal group 112.
While Bad Boy Entertainment was
reveling in its success, a feud developed between Combs’ company and
Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. The heated rivalry played itself out
on records by Death Row’s Tupac Shakur and Bad Boy’s Notorious B.I.G.
Then, in 1996, the rivalry took a deadly turn. Shakur was killed in a
drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Notorious B.I.G. was murdered six
months later.
In 1997, Combs released the his first
solo effort, No Way Out, featuring the single, "Can't Nobody
Hold Me Down,” which held the number one spot on Billboard’s
Hot R&B Singles chart for nearly two months. The album also
featured a Grammy-winning tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G.,
entitled "I'll Be Missing You," which was a remix of the Police's 1993
song "Every Breath You Take." The album went on to win two Grammy
awards, including Best Rap Album of the Year.
In 1999, Combs released his second
album, Forever, which failed to match the success of his debut.
Meanwhile, Combs celebrity status skyrocketed with his romantic
relationship with Jennifer Lopez. Legal troubles began to follow Combs
on a constant basis, beginning with assault charges stemming from an
alleged beating of Interscope Records executive Steve Stoute. The
charges were reduced to second-degree harassment, and Combs entered a
one-day anger management class as punishment.
The biggest legal battle Combs fought
came in 2000 when he and Lopez were present during a shooting at a New
York City club. After Combs and Lopez fled the scene, a stolen gun was
found in his car. In the end Combs was acquitted of all charges, but
the incident cost him his relationship with Lopez, who broke up with
him on Valentine’s Day 2001. In addition, his credibility as a rapper
and popularity with the public had suffered dramatically. He talent was
questioned due to his incessant use of samples, inciting many in the
hip-hop world to accused him of diluting the genre. In the months that
followed, Combs worked hard to change his image and even went so far as
to change his rap name from Puff Daddy to P. Diddy.
In 2001, Combs released P. Diddy
& The Bad Boy Family … The Saga Continues. The singles “Bad Boy
for Life” and “I Need a Girl” succeeded in putting Combs back in the
rap game, while 2002’s We Invented the Remix sealed the deal.
Around the same time, Combs began taking small parts in independent
films such as Made and Monster’s Ball.
MTV called up Combs to usher in a new
season of Making the Band in 2002. Six contestants were chosen
in 2003 to become the next voices in hip-hop.
|
