Combs, Sean (1969-…), is a popular African American rap singer. He has also gained success as a record producer, businessman, and actor. Combs first performed under the name Puff Daddy, a nickname he picked up in high school. He has changed his name several times, to P. Diddy, Diddy, and, in 2017, Love (also known as Brother Love).
Combs was born on Nov. 4, 1969, in the Harlem district of New York City. He attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., for two years, majoring in business, before dropping out in the late 1980’s. By the age of 19, Combs was a recording company executive. In 1992, he produced Mary J. Blige’s album Where’s the 411?, considered a fusion of hip-hop and soul music.
In 1993, Combs established his own record company, Bad Boy Entertainment. The company quickly became a success, especially by recording the rap artist the Notorious B.I.G . The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in 1997. His death inspired Combs’s first album, No Way Out (1997), which won the 1997 Grammy Award as best rap album. The album included the number-one singles “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “I’ll Be Missing You,” a rewrite of the song “Every Breath You Take” by the British rock group the Police. Combs later released the hit rap albums Forever (1999), The Saga Continues (2001), and Press Play (2006).
Along with his music activities, Combs has established a successful line of designer clothing and a line of men’s fragrances. The Council of Fashion Designers of America named Combs Menswear Designer of the Year for 2004. He has also won praise as an actor, appearing in the motion picture Monster’s Ball (2001) and a Broadway revival of the American playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s drama A Raisin in the Sun in 2004. He also appeared in the motion-picture comedy Get Him to the Greek (2010).
Combs has become one of the most publicized figures in American popular music. He had a widely covered romance with the singer and actress Jennifer Lopez that ended in 2001. In that year, Combs was acquitted of weapons charges resulting from a New York City nightclub shooting in 1999. His bodyguards have been involved in several incidents that led to lawsuits against Combs. However, Combs has also been active in charity work, including a campaign to fight AIDS.
