Puff Daddy

10 Pages 2614 Words

young entrepreneur. This being said to emphasize the power that the label had to sign other hot unknown artists. Faith Evans (now widow of B.I.G.), Total, 112, MA$E, and new artist Dream are all on the Bad Boy label. Every one of the artists has achieved gold, platinum, or multi-platinum sales. As a matter of fact “to date, all of the releases under the Bad Boy label have achieved these staggering sales figures…(AP Wire, December 5). Sales were solid for Bad Boy in 1995 and 1996, however 1997 was the year that the tiger was let loose on the hip-hop scene, and it has never been the same since. The year started off in March with what seemed to be a disaster. Chris Wallace a.k.a. “The Notorious B.I.G.” was gunned down in front of Combs outside of an industry party in L.A. What looked like a catastrophe for the label was actually a godsend. The shooting in March of 24 year-old Christopher Wallace boosted the ascent of businessman/producer Sean “Puffy” Combs, Bad Boy Records. In fact during the summer of 1997, most of the songs on the upper reaches of the music charts were either by, featuring, or about “The Notorious B.I.G.” (Cox News, Nov. 28). Combs and Wallace, joined by 19 year old protégé rapper MA$E, were at the top of the charts almost the entire year. Nothing prepared the label for the biggest selling single to come. Combs and R&B super group 112, together with Faith Evans recorded a tribute to Biggie entitled, “I’ll be missing you”. It was featured on Combs new album: “Puff Daddy and the Family”. Based on the 1983 hit, “Every Breath You Take” by the British pop group “The Police”, it went on to sale 3 million copies and garner Combs his first ever Grammy award (Color Blind, March 8.). All of the Bad Boy albums that year such as Biggie Small’s “Life After Death,” Combs own record with the Family, “No Way Out,” and MA$E’s debut, “Harlem World”—offer standard gangsta topics: songs...