Sean John Combs was born in Harlem, on November 4, 1969,
and raised in Mount Vernon, New York. As a child he developed his unique
nickname because of the way he puffed out his chest on the football
field.
At the age of 18, Combs attended Howard University, where he spent more
time promoting parties and selling term papers and exams than anything
else. His dream was to become a rapper. After two years, Combs left
Howard and knocked on the door of Uptown Records executive Andre
Harrell. The latter granted him an internship and the rest as they say,
is history.
Becoming a notorious bad boy
Combs was promoted to A&R and soon was collaborating with Mary J. Blige
and Jodeci. The more Combs learned, the more he dreamed of founding his
own label. In 1993, he did just that with Bad Boy Records. With
childhood friend Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. the late Notorious B.I.G.,
Combs made the young company a success.
Craig Mack and Faith Evans were two artists who also helped establish
Bad Boy Records, with over 12 million albums sold by 1994. Combs was now
the hottest producer in the industry, with a particular talent for
creating hip-hop remixes. He soon began to reap honors for his
songwriting and production ability. Acts like Boyz II Men, TLC, SWV, and
Aretha Franklin called for material and inspiration.
Puff Daddy made his debut as an artist in 1997 with No Way Out. The
album went multi-platinum and featured two No. 1 singles: "Can't Nobody
Hold Me Down" and the Notorious B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You."
A career J-Lo
Combs has not been a stranger to controversy and negative publicity. His
encounters with the law have been well-documented, from a nightclub
incident with an alleged handgun to an assault charge for a physical
confrontation with a record executive. Combs was cleared of the former
and pled guilty to a lesser charge on the assault. In addition, there
was rampant speculation about his love life when superstar Jennifer
Lopez was in the picture. Their relationship unraveled in the public eye
and the media attention has been incessant on Combs ever since.
Despite the court dates, press and criticism heaped on him for his
mainstream success and musical sampling, Combs has managed to accomplish
a lot. Two more solo albums followed No Way Out. He has launched a
successful clothing line in Sean John and operates an upscale restaurant
franchise, Justin's, named for his son.
Combing Hollywood
Bad Boy Records continues to produce hits and launch careers, and Combs
has branded the name even further with Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment
Group. The conglomerate also encompasses a marketing and advertising
company, Blue Flame, and a magazine, Notorious. If that is not enough,
Combs has also taken up acting and had an acclaimed role in the Academy
Award winning film, Monster's Ball.