Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage name Diddy, formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer and record executive. He is credited with the discovery and cultivation of artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher. Combs has won three Grammy Awards from 13 nominations, two MTV Video Music Awards, an MTV VMA Global Icon Award in 2023, and a Guinness World Record for "Most Successful Rap Producer" in 1997.
Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Combs worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. He embarked on his recording career following the mainstream success of his first signee, the Notorious B.I.G., for whom he served as manager and hype man. Released in the wake and memory of B.I.G's unsolved murder, Combs's debut studio album, No Way Out (1997), was met with critical acclaim, peaked atop the Billboard 200 and received septuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its two preceding singles, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (featuring Mase) and "I'll Be Missing You" (with Faith Evans featuring 112), both peaked the Billboard Hot 100—the latter became the first hip hop song to debut atop the chart. His second and third albums, Forever (1999) and The Saga Continues... (2001), both peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception, while his fourth, Press Play (2006), peaked atop the chart once more. Combs then formed the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money—with R&B singers Kalenna Harper and Dawn Richard—to release the collaborative album Last Train to Paris (2010), which peaked at number seven and was supported by the single "Coming Home" (featuring Skylar Grey). His fifth studio album, The Love Album: Off the Grid (2023), was met with moderate critical and commercial response, and served as his first release without a major label.
Outside of music, he has worked in production for other media, including MTV's reality series Making the Band. He launched the clothing retailer Sean John in 1998, for which he won Menswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2004, having previously been nominated in 2000. Combs served as brand ambassador for the vodka retailer Cîroc from 2007 to 2023, and co-founded the television network Revolt in 2013. Zack O'Malley Greenburg estimated Combs's net worth at US$1 billion in 2022, making him one of the wealthiest musical artists.
Combs has been the subject of a number of sexual assault allegations. These allegations began in late 2023 after his former partner Cassie Ventura filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against him for sexual assault; it was settled out of court. In the following months, 11 more lawsuits were filed by additional claimants, with similar allegations of assault ranging from 1991 to 2009. In March 2024, several properties tied to Combs were raided by the Department of Homeland Security as part of an ongoing investigation. In May 2024, surveillance footage of Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel was released, for which Combs issued a public apology. In September 2024, Combs was indicted by a federal grand jury in Manhattan and was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, with his commercial enterprises alleged to have been involved with narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, and bribery. He pled not guilty and was twice denied bail. Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while awaiting trial.
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