Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
s Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy,
is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent director at
Uptown Records before founding his own record label,
Bad Boy Records in 1993. Combs has produced and cultivated artists such as
the Notorious B.I.G.,
Mary J. Blige, and
Usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** Fiel ...
.
Combs' debut album, ''
No Way Out'' (1997), has been certified
seven times platinum. The album was followed by ''
Forever'' (1999), ''
The Saga Continues...'' (2001), and ''
Press Play'' (2006), all of which were commercially successful. In 2009, Combs created and produced the musical group
Dirty Money; they released their successful debut album ''
Last Train to Paris'' in 2010.
Combs has won three
Grammy Awards and two
MTV Video Music Awards and is the producer of
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Making the Band''. In 2022, ''
Forbes'' estimated his
net worth
Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...
at US$1 billion. In 1998, he launched his own clothing line ''
Sean John.'' He was nominated for the
Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2000 and won in 2004.
Early life
Sean John Combs was born in the
Harlem neighborhood of New York City on November 4, 1969. Raised in
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of t ...
,
his mother Janice Combs (née Smalls) was a model and teacher's assistant, and his father, Melvin Earl Combs, served in the
U.S. Air Force and was an associate of convicted New York drug dealer
Frank Lucas.
At age 33, Melvin was shot to death while sitting in his car on
Central Park West, when Sean was two years old.
Combs graduated from
Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1987. He played
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
for the academy, and his team won a division title in 1986.
Combs said he was given the nickname "Puff" as a child, because he would "huff and puff" when he was angry.
Combs was a business major at
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
but left after his sophomore year.
In 2014, he returned to Howard University to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities and to deliver the University's 146th Commencement Address.
Career
1990–1996: Career beginnings

Combs became an
intern at New York's
Uptown Records in 1990.
While working as a talent director at Uptown, he helped develop
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their musical careers as two duos of brothers and, after years of lim ...
and
Mary J. Blige.
In his college days Combs had a reputation for throwing parties, some of which attracted up to a thousand participants. In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser with
Heavy D held at the
City College of New York (CCNY) gymnasium, following a charity basketball game. The event was oversold, and a stampede occurred in which nine people died.
In 1993, after being fired from Uptown, Combs established his new label
Bad Boy Entertainment as a joint venture with
Arista Records, taking then-newcomer Christopher Wallace, better known as
the Notorious B.I.G., with him.
Both Wallace and
Craig Mack quickly released hit singles, followed by successful LPs, particularly Wallace's ''
Ready to Die''.
Combs signed more acts to Bad Boy, including
Carl Thomas,
Faith Evans,
112,
Total
Total may refer to:
Mathematics
* Total, the summation of a set of numbers
* Total order, a partial order without incomparable pairs
* Total relation, which may also mean
** connected relation (a binary relation in which any two elements are comp ...
, and
Father MC.
The Hitmen, his in-house production team, worked with
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their musical careers as two duos of brothers and, after years of lim ...
, Mary J. Blige,
Usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** Fiel ...
,
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
,
TLC,
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
,
Boyz II Men,
SWV,
Aretha Franklin, and others.
Mase and
the Lox joined Bad Boy just as a widely publicized rivalry with the West Coast's
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre ('' ...
was beginning. Combs and Wallace were criticized and parodied by
Tupac Shakur and
Suge Knight
Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. (; born April 19, 1965) is a American former music executive, convicted felon, and the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight is considered a central figure in gangsta rap's commercial success in ...
in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s. During 1994–1995, Combs produced several songs for TLC's ''
CrazySexyCool'', which finished the decade as number 25 on Billboard's list of top pop albums of the decade.
1997–1998: "Puff Daddy" and ''No Way Out''
In 1997, under the name Puff Daddy, Combs recorded his first commercial vocal work as a rapper. His debut single, "
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", spent 28 weeks on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number one.
His debut album, ''
No Way Out'', was released on July 22, 1997, through Bad Boy Records. Originally titled ''Hell up in Harlem'', the album underwent several changes after
the Notorious B.I.G. was killed on March 9, 1997.
Several of the label's artists made guest appearances on the album. ''No Way Out'' was a significant success, particularly in the United States, where it reached number one on the
''Billboard'' 200 in its first week of release, selling 561,000 copies.
The album produced five singles: "
I'll Be Missing You", a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., was the first rap song to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; it remained at the top of the chart for eleven consecutive weeks and topped several other charts worldwide. Four other singles – "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "
It's All About the Benjamins", "
Been Around the World", and "
Victory" – were also released. Combs collaborated with
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
on the song "
Come with Me" for the 1998 film ''
Godzilla''.
The album earned Combs five nominations at the
40th Grammy Awards in 1998, and would go on to win the
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
On September 7, 2000, the album was certified septuple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for sales of over 7 million copies.
In 1997, Combs was sued for landlord neglect by Inge Bongo. Combs denied the charges.
By the late 1990s, he was being criticized for watering down and overly commercializing hip hop, and for using too many guest appearances,
samples, and
interpolations of past hits in his new songs.
1999–2000: ''Forever'', and Club New York shooting
In April 1999, Combs was charged with assaulting
Steve Stoute
Steve Stoute (born June 26, 1970) is an American businessman and record executive. Stoute is the founder and CEO of the Translation, a marketing agency, and the author of ''The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the ...
of
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
. Stoute was the manager for
Nas, with whom Combs had filmed a video earlier that year for the song "
Hate Me Now
"Hate Me Now" is the second and final single by rapper Nas featuring Sean Combs (performing as Puff Daddy), from Nas' third studio album ''I Am... (Nas album), I Am...''. The backbeat is inspired by, and contains some samples from, Carl Orff's " ...
". Combs was concerned that the video, which featured a shot of Nas and Combs being crucified, was blasphemous. He asked for his scenes on the cross to be pulled, but after the video aired unedited on MTV on April 15, Combs visited Stoute's offices and injured Stoute. Combs was charged with second-degree assault and criminal mischief,
and was sentenced to attend a one-day anger management class.
''
Forever'', Combs's second solo studio album, was released by Bad Boy Records on August 24, 1999, in North America, and in the UK on the following day. It reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number one on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,
where it remained for one week before being knocked off by Mary J. Blige's fourth album, ''
Mary''. The album received positive to mixed reviews from music critics and spawned three singles that have charted on the
''Billboard'' charts. It peaked at number four on the
Canadian Albums Chart, Combs's highest-charting album in that country.
On December 27, 1999, Combs, his then-girlfriend
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
, and his protégé rapper
Shyne were at Club New York in
Times Square in Manhattan when gunfire broke out.
A prosecutor said that the incident was sparked by an argument at the club between Combs and another patron.
After a police investigation, Combs and Shyne were arrested for weapons violations and other charges.
Combs was charged with four weapons-related charges and with bribing his driver, Wardel Fenderson, to claim ownership of his gun.
With a
gag order in place, the highly publicized trial began.
Combs's attorneys were
Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and
Benjamin Brafman.
Combs was found not guilty on all charges; Shyne was convicted on five of his eight charges
and sentenced to ten years in prison. Combs and Lopez broke up shortly after. A lawsuit filed by Fenderson, who said he suffered emotional damage after the shooting, was settled in February 2004. Lawyers for both sides, having agreed to keep the settlement terms secret, said the matter had been "resolved to the satisfaction of all parties".
2001–2004: "P. Diddy" and ''The Saga Continues''
Combs changed his stage name from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy" in 2001.
The
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
album, ''Thank You'', which had been completed just before the beginning of the weapons trial, was due to be released in March that year, but remains unreleased .
He appeared as a drug dealer in the film ''
Made'' and starred with
Halle Berry
Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mi ...
,
Heath Ledger, and
Billy Bob Thornton in ''
Monster's Ball
''Monster's Ball'' is a 2001 American drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appear in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and Peter Boyle, ...
'' (both in 2001).
He was arrested for driving with a suspended license in Florida.
Combs began working with a series of unusual (for him) artists. For a short period of time, he was the manager of
Kelis; they have a collaboration titled "Let's Get Ill".
He was an opening act for
'N Sync on their Spring 2002 Celebrity Tour,
and he signed California-based pop girl group
Dream to his record label.
Combs was a producer of the soundtrack album for the film ''
Training Day'' (2001).
In June 2001, Combs ended Bad Boy's joint venture with Arista Records, gaining full control of Bad Boy, its catalogue, and its roster of artists.
''
The Saga Continues...'', released on July 10 in North America, was the last studio album released by the joint venture. The album reached number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts,
and was eventually certified Platinum. It is the only studio album under the P. Diddy name, and the first album by Sean Combs not to feature any guest appearances by Jay-Z or Lil Kim. Combs was executive producer of the reality TV show ''
Making the Band'', which appeared on MTV from 2002 to 2009.
The show involves interviewing candidates and creating musical acts that would then enter the music business. Acts who got their start this way include
Da Band,
Danity Kane,
Day26,
and
Donnie Klang.
In 2003, Combs ran in the
New York City Marathon, raising $2million for the educational system of the city of New York.
On March 10, 2004, he appeared on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show'' to discuss the marathon, which he finished in four hours and eighteen minutes. In 2004, Combs headed the campaign "
Vote or Die
Citizen Change is a political service group, founded in 2004 by musician P. Diddy, and backed by Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and 50 Cent. The stated aim was to get young people and minorities to vote. A band named CitiZEN Change from Galveston, Te ...
" for the 2004 presidential election. On February 1, 2004, Combs (as P. Diddy) performed at the
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.
2005–2009: "Diddy" and ''Press Play''

On August 16, 2005, Combs announced on ''
Today'' that he was altering his stage name yet again; he would be calling himself "Diddy". Combs said fans didn't know how to address him, which led to confusion.
In November 2005, London-based musical artist and DJ
Richard Dearlove
Sir Richard Billing Dearlove (born 23 January 1945) was head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), a role known informally as "C", from 1999 until 6 May 2004. He was in his role as head of MI6 during the invasion of Iraq. He was bl ...
, who had been performing under the name "Diddy" since 1992 nine years before Combs started using even "P. Diddy" sought an injunction in the
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...
in London. He accepted an out-of-court settlement of £10,000 in damages and more than £100,000 in
costs. Combs can no longer use the name Diddy in the UK, where he is still known as P. Diddy.
An assault charge against Combs filed by Michigan television host
Rogelio Mills was resolved in Combs's favor in 2005.
Combs starred in the 2005 film ''
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power''. He played Walter Lee Younger in the 2004 Broadway revival of ''
A Raisin in the Sun''
and the
television adaptation
An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another.
Some common examples are:
* Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...
that aired in February 2008. In 2005, Combs sold half of his record company to the
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. (trade name, d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York C ...
.
He hosted the 2005
MTV Video Music Awards and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2005 by ''
Time'' magazine.
He was mentioned in the country song "
Play Something Country" by
Brooks & Dunn: the lyricist says he "didn't come to hear P. Diddy", which is rhymed with "something thumpin' from the city".
In 2006, when Combs refused to release musician
Mase from his contractual obligations to allow him to join the group
G-Unit,
50 Cent recorded a
diss
Diss or DISS may refer to:
*Diss, Alberta, a place in Canada
*Diss, Norfolk, a market town in England, United Kingdom
**Diss railway station
**Diss Rugby Club
** Diss Town F.C.
*Diss grass, a Mediterranean grass
*Diss (music), a song whose primary ...
song, "Hip-Hop". The lyrics imply that Combs knew the identity of
the Notorious B.I.G.'s murderer.
The two later resolved the feud.
Combs released his first album in four years, ''
Press Play'', on October 17, 2006, on the Bad Boy Records label.
The album, featuring guest appearances by many popular artists, debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart with sales of over 173,009. Its singles "
Come to Me" and "
Last Night" both reached the top ten of the
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
The album became available to preview on MTV's ''The Leak'' on October 10, 2006, a week before being sold in stores.
''Press Play'' received mixed to positive reviews from critics,
and was certified Gold on the RIAA ratings. On September 18, 2007, Combs teamed up with
50 Cent and
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
for the "
Forbes I Get Money Billion Dollar Remix".
In March 2008, the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' claimed that the Notorious B.I.G. and Combs orchestrated the
1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac, substantiating the claim with supposed FBI documents; the newspaper later retracted the story, acknowledging that the documents had been fabricated.
Dexter Isaac, an associate of record management executive
Jimmy Henchman, confessed in 2012 that he had shot Tupac on Henchman's orders.
In June 2008, Combs's representative denied rumors of another name change.
Combs ventured into reality television in August 2008 with the premiere of his
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
series ''
I Want to Work for Diddy''.
He appeared—credited under his real name—in two episodes of Season 7 of ''
CSI: Miami'': "Presumed Guilty" and "Sink or Swim", in the role of lawyer Derek Powell.
2010–2013: Dirty Money and acting
Combs created a rap supergroup in 2010 known as the Dream Team. The group consists of Combs,
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper.
Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
,
DJ Khaled,
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
,
Busta Rhymes,
Red Café, and
Fabolous.
Combs made an appearance at comedian
Chris Gethard
Christopher Paul Gethard (; born May 23, 1980) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He was the host of ''The Chris Gethard Show'', a talk show based in New York City, which aired from 2011 to 2018. He hosts the podcasts ''Beautiful Stories ...
's live show in January 2010 at the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City.
In June 2010, Combs played a role (credited as Sean Combs) in the comedy film ''
Get Him to the Greek'', as Sergio Roma, a record company executive. An ''
Entourage'' series representative announced that Combs would guest star on an episode during the 2010 season.
Recruiting singers
Dawn Richard and
Kalenna Harper, Combs formed the female duo
Dirty Money in 2009. The duo's first album, ''
Last Train to Paris'', was released by on December 13, 2010. The release was preceded by four singles "
Angels", "
Hello Good Morning", "
Loving You No More
"Loving You No More" is a song by American rapper and producer Diddy and his group Dirty Money, from their debut album, ''Last Train to Paris''. It was written by Dawn Richard of the group, as well as Mario Winans and Canadian rapper Drake, the l ...
", and "
Coming Home", which experienced mixed success on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Coming Home" was the most successful of the songs, peaking at number eleven on the U.S. Hot 100, number four in the UK, and number seven in Canada.
Combs produced the group, and often performed with them. On March 10, 2011, Diddy and Dirty Money performed "Coming Home" live on ''American Idol''.
On April 18, 2011, Combs appeared in
season one Season One may refer to:
Albums
* ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004
* ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012
* ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012
See also
*
*
* Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to:
...
of ''
Hawaii Five-0'', guest starring as an undercover
NYPD detective.
In November 2012 Combs appeared in an episode of the
eighth season of the American sitcom ''
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''.
2014–present: ''MMM (Money Making Mitch)'', ''No Way Out 2'', and "Love"
On February 26, 2014, Combs premiered "Big Homie", featuring Rick Ross and
French Montana
Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...
, as the first single from his mixtape ''
MMM (Money Making Mitch)'', which was originally scheduled to be released that year.
The song was released for digital download on March 24,
and two days later the trailer for the music video was released. The full version of the music video was released on March 31. Combs used his former stage name Puff Daddy for the album.
''MMM'' was released as a free mixtape album of 12 tracks on November 4, 2015.
In 2014 Combs and
Guy Gerber
Guy Avraham Gerber (born 1974 in Holon, near Tel Aviv) is an Israeli electronic DJ/producer and musician who works in the underground techno scene. His projects range from collaborating with hip hop figure Puff Daddy, to starting a left-field n ...
announced that their joint album ''11 11'' would be available for free download.
A new single called "
Finna Get Loose" featuring Combs and
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
was released on June 29, 2015.
In July 2015, Bad Boy Entertainment artist Gizzle told the press that she is collaborating with Combs on what she describes as his last album, titled ''No Way Out 2'', a sequel to his 1997 debut. She describes the music as unique: "The mindset is to just be classic and to be epic. And to really live up to that... we know it's a tall order, but we welcome the challenge."
In April 2016, Combs announced that after this last album and tour, he plans to retire from the music industry to focus on acting.
On May 20 and 21, 2016, Combs launched a tour of
Bad Boy Records' biggest names to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the label.
The documentary ''Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story'', covering the two shows at the
Barclays Center in Brooklyn as well as behind-the-scenes events, was released on June 23, 2017.
The show toured to an additional twenty venues across the United States and Canada.
On November 5, 2017, Combs announced that he would be going by the name Love, stating "My new name is Love, aka Brother Love".
Two days later, he told the press he had been joking, but on January 3, 2018, he announced on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' that he had changed his mind again, and will be using the new name after all.
The change became official in 2022.
In 2019, Combs announced on Twitter that ''Making the Band'' would return to MTV in 2020.
Combs executive-produced Nigerian singer
Burna Boy's album, ''
Twice as Tall'', released on August 14, 2020.
In 2022, Combs hosted the
2022 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Shortly afterwards, he announced the startup of a new record label, Love Records, and the signing of a one-album recording deal with
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
.
Business career
''Fortune'' magazine listed Combs at number twelve on their
top 40 of entrepreneurs under 40 in 2002.
''
Forbes'' Magazine estimates that for the year ending May 2017, Combs earned $130 million, ranking him number one among entertainers.
In 2022, his estimated net worth was US$1 billion.
Sean John

In 1998, Combs started a clothing line, ''
Sean John''. It was nominated for the
Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2000,
and won in 2004.
California billionaire
Ronald Burkle invested $100 million into the company in 2003.
Also in 2003, the
National Labor Committee revealed that factories producing the clothing in Honduras were violating Honduran labor laws.
Among the accusations were that workers were subjected to body searches and involuntary pregnancy tests. Bathrooms were locked and access tightly controlled. Employees were forced to work overtime and were paid sweatshop wages.
Charles Kernaghan
Charles Patrick Kernaghan (April 2, 1948 – June 1, 2022) was the executive director of the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, formerly known as the National Labor Committee in Support of Human and Worker Rights, currently headquarter ...
of the National Labor Committee told ''The New York Times'' that "Sean Puff Daddy obviously has a lot of clout, he can literally do a lot overnight to help these workers."
Combs responded with an extensive investigation, telling reporters "I'm as pro-worker as they get".
On February 14, 2004, Kernaghan announced that improvements had been implemented at the factory, including adding air conditioning and water purification systems, firing the most abusive supervisors, and allowing the formation of a labor union.
In late 2006, the department store
Macy's removed Sean John jackets from their shelves when they discovered that the clothing was made using
raccoon dog fur. Combs had not known the jackets were made with dog fur, but as soon as he was alerted, he had production stopped.
In November 2008, Combs added a men's perfume called "I Am King" to the Sean John brand. The fragrance, dedicated to
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
,
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
, and
Martin Luther King Jr., featured model
Bar Refaeli in its advertisements. In early 2016, Sean John introduced the brand's GIRLS collection.
Other ventures
Combs is the head of Combs Enterprises, an umbrella company for his portfolio of businesses.
In addition to his clothing line, Combs owned two restaurants called Justin's, named after his son. The original New York location closed in September 2007;
the Atlanta location closed in June 2012.
He is the designer of the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
alternate jersey.
In October 2007, Combs agreed to help develop the
Cîroc vodka brand for a 50 percent share of the profits. Combs acquired the
Enyce clothing line from
Liz Claiborne for $20 million on October 21, 2008.
Combs has a major equity stake in
Revolt TV, a television network that also has a film production branch.
It began broadcasting in 2014.
In February 2015, Combs teamed up with actor
Mark Wahlberg and businessman
Ronald Burkle of
Yucaipa Companies to purchase a majority holding in Aquahydrate, a calorie-free beverage for athletes.
John Cochran, former president of
Fiji Water
Fiji Water is a brand of bottled water derived, bottled, and shipped from Fiji. According to marketing materials, the water comes from an artesian aquifer in Viti Levu. Fiji Water is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It is available in ...
, is CEO of the company.
In 2019, Combs became a major investor in PlayVS, which provides an infrastructure for competitive gaming in US high schools. The company was also backed by
Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin.
Personal life
Family
Combs is the father of 7 children. His first biological child, Justin, was born in 1993 to designer
Misa Hylton-Brim. Justin attended
UCLA on a football scholarship.
Combs had an on-again, off-again relationship with Kimberly Porter (1970–2018), which lasted from 1994 to 2007.
He raised and adopted
Quincy (born 1991),
Porter's son from a previous relationship with singer-producer
Al B. Sure! Together they had a son, Christian (born 1998), and twin daughters, D'Lila Star and Jessie James (born 2006).
Porter died of
pneumonia on November 15, 2018.
Five months before the birth of his twins,
Combs's daughter Chance was born to Sarah Chapman. He took legal responsibility for Chance in October 2007.
Combs was in a long-term relationship with
Cassie Ventura from 2007 to 2018.
Combs's sons Quincy and Justin both appeared on MTV's ''
My Super Sweet 16''. Combs threw Quincy a celebrity-studded party and gave him two cars as his 16th birthday present.
For Justin's 16th birthday, Combs presented him with a $360,000
Maybach car.
His seventh biological child was born in 2022, a daughter named Love Sean Combs.
Combs owns a home in
Alpine, New Jersey
Alpine is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is the easternmost community in New Jersey.
As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 1,849, , which he purchased for $7million.
Charity work and honors

Combs founded Daddy's House Social Programs, an organization to help inner city youth, in 1995. Programs include tutoring, life skills classes, and an annual summer camp. Along with Jay-Z, he pledged $1 million to help support victims of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the co ...
in 2005, and donated clothing from his Sean John line to victims. He has donated computers and books to New York schools.
In 1998, he received a Golden Plate Award from the
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
. Chicago Mayor
Richard M. Daley named October 13, 2006, as "Diddy Day" in honor of Combs's charity work. In 2008, Combs was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
,
the first male rapper to be so honored.
In 2014, Combs received an
honorary doctorate from
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
, where he gave the
commencement speech for its 146th commencement ceremony. In his speech, Combs acknowledged that his experiences as a Howard student positively influenced his life.
In 2016, Combs donated $1 million to Howard University to establish the Sean Combs Scholarship Fund to help students who are unable to pay their tuition.
In 2022, Combs announced during his
BET Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech that he will be donating $1 million each to Howard University and
Jackson State University.
Wardrobe style
Combs describes his wardrobe style as "swagger, timeless, diverse".
On September 2, 2007, Combs held his ninth annual "White Party", at which guests are limited to an all-white dress code. The White Party, which has also been held in
St. Tropez
, INSEE = 83119
, postal code = 83990
, image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Saint-Tropez-A (Var).svg
, image flag=Flag of Saint-Tropez.svg
Saint-Tropez (; oc, Sant Tropetz, ; ) is a commune in the Var department and the region of Provence-Alp ...
, was held in his home in
East Hampton, New York. Combs stated, "This party is up there with the top three that I've thrown. It's a party that has legendary status. It's hard to throw a party that lives up to its legend."
Religious views
Combs was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, and was an altar server as a boy.
In 2008, he told ''
The Daily Telegraph'' that he does not adhere to any specific religious denomination. He said, "I just follow right from wrong, so I could pray in a synagogue or a mosque or a church. I believe that there is only one God."
On July 3, 2020, Combs invited his Twitter followers to view a 3-hour YouTube video posted by
Louis Farrakhan. In the video Farrakhan made multiple anti-Semitic comments and repeatedly used the phrase "
Synagogue of Satan". The video was removed from YouTube for violating its policy against hate speech.
In response to comedian
Nick Cannon being fired on July 14, 2020, from
ViacomCBS for espousing anti-Semitic views,
Combs tweeted that Cannon should "come home to RevoltTv" saying "We got your back and love you and what you have done for the culture."
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
No Way Out'' (1997)
* ''
Forever'' (1999)
* ''
The Saga Continues...'' (2001)
* ''
Press Play'' (2006)
Awards and nominations
NAACP Image Awards
, -
, 2009
, ''
A Raisin in the Sun''
,
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie,
Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
,
, -
, 2011
, Diddy – Dirty Money
,
Outstanding Duo or Group
,
BET Awards
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
2002 , , "
Bad Boy for Life"
, , rowspan="2" ,
Video of the Year , ,
, -
, "
Pass the Courvoisier, Part II
Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to:
Places
*Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland
*Pass, Poland, a village in Poland
*Pass (strait), Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits
*Mountain pass, a lower plac ...
"
, ,
, -
,
2003 , , "
Bump, Bump, Bump" , ,
Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice Award , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
2007 , , "
Last Night" , ,
Best Collaboration , ,
, -
, Diddy , ,
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist , ,
, -
,
2010 , , rowspan="3" , Diddy – Dirty Money , , rowspan="4" ,
Best Group , ,
, -
,
2011 , ,
, -
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, ,
, -
,
2016 , , Puff Daddy and the Family , ,
BET Hip Hop Awards
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2008 , , "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..." , , Track of the Year , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , Sean Combs , , rowspan="2" , Hustler of the Year , ,
, -
, 2009 , ,
, -
, rowspan="4" , 2010 , , "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" , , rowspan="2" , Reese's Perfect Combo Award , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , "Hello Good Morning (Remix)" , ,
, -
, Best Club Banger , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , Sean Combs , , rowspan="2" , Hustler of the Year , ,
, -
, 2011 , ,
, -
, 2012 , , rowspan="2" , "Same Damn Time (Remix)" , , rowspan="2" , Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2013 , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" , Sean Combs , , rowspan="2" , Hustler of the Year , ,
, -
, 2017 , ,
MTV Europe Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="4" ,
1997 , , rowspan="2" , "I'll Be Missing You" , ,
MTV Select , ,
, -
,
Best Song , ,
, -
, rowspan="8" , Sean Combs , ,
Best New Act , ,
, -
,
Best Hip-Hop , ,
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
1998 , ,
Best Male , ,
, -
, rowspan="5" , Best Hip-Hop , ,
, -
,
1999 , ,
, -
,
2001 , ,
, -
,
2002 , ,
, -
,
2006 , ,
, -
,
2011 , , Diddy – Dirty Money , ,
Best World Stage Performance , ,
MTV Movie & TV Awards
, -
, 2018 , , ''Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story'' , , Best Music Documentary , ,
MTV Video Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="2" , , , rowspan="2" , "
I'll Be Missing You" , , Best R&B Video , ,
, -
, Viewer's Choice , ,
, -
, rowspan="3" , , , rowspan="2" , "
It's All About the Benjamins" (Rock Remix) , , Video of the Year , ,
, -
, Viewer's Choice , ,
, -
, "
Come with Me" , , Best Video from a Film , ,
, -
, , , "
Bad Boy for Life" , , Best Rap Video , ,
Grammy Awards
!Ref.
, -
, style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" ,
1998
, Puff Daddy
,
Best New Artist
,
, rowspan="7",
, -
, ''
No Way Out''
, rowspan="2",
Best Rap Album
,
, -
, ''
Life After Death''
(as producer)
,
, -
, "
Honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
"
(as songwriter)
,
Best Rhythm & Blues Song
,
, -
, "
I'll Be Missing You"
(featuring Faith Evans & 112)
, rowspan="7",
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
,
, -
, "
Mo Money Mo Problems"
(with the Notorious B.I.G. & Mase)
,
, -
, "
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
(featuring Mase)
,
, -
, style="text-align:center;",
2000
, "
Satisfy You"
(featuring R. Kelly)
,
,
, -
, style="text-align:center;",
2002
, "
Bad Boy for Life"
(with Black Rob & Mark Curry)
,
,
, -
, style="text-align:center;",
2003
, "
Pass the Courvoisier, Part II
Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to:
Places
*Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland
*Pass, Poland, a village in Poland
*Pass (strait), Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits
*Mountain pass, a lower plac ...
"
(with Busta Rhymes & Pharrell)
,
,
, -
, style="text-align:center;",
2004
, "
Shake Ya Tailfeather"
(with Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
& Murphy Lee)
,
,
, -
, style="text-align:center;",
2016
, "
All Day
All Day may refer to:
Music
* All Day (Girl Talk album), ''All Day'' (Girl Talk album), 2010 album
* All Day (The Pietasters album), ''All Day'' (The Pietasters album), 2007 album by The Pietasters
** All Day (The Pietasters song), "All Day" (Th ...
"
(as songwriter)
,
Best Rap Song
,
,
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Other awards
In 2021, Combs was among the inaugural inductees into the
Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame.
In June 2022, Combs received the
BET Lifetime Achievement Award.
Filmography
* ''
Made'' (2001)
* ''
Monster's Ball
''Monster's Ball'' is a 2001 American drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appear in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and Peter Boyle, ...
'' (2001)
* ''
2005 MTV Video Music Awards'' (2005)
* ''Seamless'' (2005)
* ''
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power'' (2005)
* ''
A Raisin in the Sun'' (2008)
* ''
CSI Miami'': episode "Sink or Swim" (2009)
*
CSI Miami: episode "Presumed Guilty" (2009)
* ''
Notorious
Notorious means well known for a negative trait, characteristic, or action. It may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Notorious'' (1946 film), a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock
* ''Notorious'' (1992 film), a TV film re ...
'' (2009): Archive footage
* ''
Get Him to the Greek'' (2010)
* ''
I'm Still Here I'm Still Here may refer to:
* ''I'm Still Here'' (book), a 2018 memoir by Austin Channing Brown
In film and television:
* '' I'm Still Here: The Truth About Schizophrenia'', a 1996 documentary film
* ''I'm Still Here'' (2010 film), a 2010 mockum ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Hawaii Five-0'': episode "Hoʻopaʻi" (2011)
* ''
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (TV series) (2012)
* ''
Draft Day'' (2014)
* ''
Muppets Most Wanted'' (2014)
* ''
Black-ish'' (TV series) (2015)
* ''Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story'' (2017)
* ''
The Defiant Ones'' (2017)
* ''
Mary J. Blige's My Life
''Mary J. Blige's My Life'' is a 2021 American documentary film about the musical career of American recording artist Mary J. Blige directed by Vanessa Roth. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of her 1994 studio album ''My Life'', the film was rele ...
'' (2021)
* ''
2022 Billboard Music Awards'' (2022)
Tours
* No Way Out Tour (1997–1998)
* Forever Tour (2000)
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Combs, Sean
1969 births
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century American rappers
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American rappers
Actors from Mount Vernon, New York
African-American businesspeople
African-American designers
African-American fashion designers
African-American film producers
African-American male actors
African-American male rappers
African-American record producers
African-American songwriters
African-American television producers
American chairpersons of corporations
American chief executives in the media industry
American chief executives of fashion industry companies
American contemporary R&B singers
American corporate directors
American cosmetics businesspeople
American drink industry businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American fashion designers
American film producers
American hip hop record producers
American hip hop singers
American landlords
American male film actors
American male rappers
American male songwriters
American male television actors
American marketing businesspeople
American mass media owners
American music industry executives
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American philanthropists
American restaurateurs
American retail chief executives
American reality television producers
American television company founders
American television executives
Bad Boy Records artists
Businesspeople from New York City
East Coast hip hop musicians
Former Roman Catholics
Grammy Award winners for rap music
Howard University alumni
Living people
Male actors from New York City
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Mount Vernon, New York
Participants in American reality television series
People from Alpine, New Jersey
People from Harlem
Pop rappers
Rappers from Manhattan
Record producers from New York (state)
Remixers
Songwriters from New York (state)
Television producers from New York City