Diddy, 1969-

Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records in 1993. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher and the Notorious B.I.G., for whom he served as manager and hype man. Combs's debut studio album, No Way Out (1997), peaked atop the Billboard 200 and has sold over 7 million copies in the US. Two of its singles, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "I'll Be Missing You", topped the Billboard Hot 100—the latter was the first hip hop song to debut atop the chart. With a feature on "Mo Money Mo Problems", Combs became the first solo artist to replace himself atop the chart. His second and third albums, Forever (1999) and The Saga Continues... (2001), both peaked at number two in the US. Collaborative singles "Bump, Bump, Bump" (2002) and "Shake Ya Tailfeather" (2003) made him the first rapper with five US number-one singles. Following the release of his chart-topping album Press Play (2006), Combs 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). He independently released his fifth album, The Love Album: Off the Grid, in 2023. One of the wealthiest musical artists in the world, Combs topped Forbes annual hip-hop rich list in 2014 and 2017. His accolades include three Grammy Awards, three BET Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards. He has worked as a producer for other media, including the reality television series Making the Band, and he starred in the films Made (2001), Monster's Ball (2001) and Get Him to the Greek (2010). Combs launched the clothing retailer Sean John in 1998, for which he won Menswear Designer of the Year from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2004, having previously been nominated in 2000. He served as brand ambassador for the liquor brand Cîroc from 2007 to 2023, and co-founded the television network Revolt in 2013. In 2008, Combs received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the first male rapper to be so honored. In late 2023, Combs settled a high-profile sexual assault and abuse lawsuit filed by his former partner Cassie Ventura. Numerous lawsuits regarding sexual misconduct were subsequently filed in the following months, with several claimants alleging incidents of sexual assault and abuse by Combs between 1991 and 2009. In March 2024, several properties tied to Combs were raided by the Department of Homeland Security and that September, he was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail three times. As of December 2024, he is detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center, and his trial is set to start on May 5, 2025.