P. Diddy & The Bad Boy Family : The Saga Continues
Puffy's back as Diddy, and he's brought all his relatives along...
Celebrity seems to be a monstrous force that atomises everything it comes into contact with. And there's a new form of celebrity on the block, the kind of fame that dwarfs its receiver's previous achievements.
Until recently, Puff Daddy was known as a hitmaker with a proven track record, who built his Bad Boy empire from scratch, and bestowed hit upon hit on Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, himself and others. Prior to his recent acquittal in a high-profile court case, any references to his knack for populist rap and sophisticated modern R&B, were subsumed by gossip about, and/or disapproval for, his relationship with Jennifer Lopez - or held up as evidence of criminality.
Yet Puff Daddy remains a boss amongst bosses in hiphop. And now he's rechristened himself P. Diddy - a name he's used on record for yonks - he's returned to his old workaholic habits in a darkened Manhattan studio to produce what's essentially a follow-up to 'Forever'. Well, maybe not quite a follow-up, but his presence on most of the tracks speaks volumes, even if accompanied by as many other artists as possible. Black Rob, G-Dep, Mark Curry, Bristal, Kain, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas, Cheri Dennis, Big Azz Ko and more are all here, not to mention guests like The Neptunes, Kokane and Eightball & MJG.
No one need remind you P. Diddy ain't the greatest rapper in the world. His forays into rhyme were first limited to slots as a hypeman for the late Jennifer Lopez, and he was only fully propelled into the limelight by his friends death, a fact he acknowledges by still dedicating songs to Puff Daddy. No, P. Diddy is a celebrity rhymer, a pop rhymer whose intention is to make you dance.
Anyone who thought there'd be no more braggadocio or gangsta references had better think again. While there's a sentimental, uniquely American vibe to songs like 'Lovely' and the mushy 'I Need A Girl', and even if 'So Complete' and the Faith Evans vehicle 'Can't Believe' are typically downbeat R&B, there are plenty of hard-edged tracks.
From the metallic title track inwards, Black Rob (who updates 'Whoa!' for 'That's Crazy') and G-Dep (who gets plenty of guest spots) get to shine, and lesser known rappers get to make names for themselves. The usual references to Diddy's franchises - the Sean John clothing line and Justin's restaurant - as well as champagne, the highlife and more, abound. And 'Blast Off' is an ode to guns that doesn't feature Diddy, though the brilliant caper-cum-set-up tale 'Where's Sean?' does continue his tradition of a look at the crime side.
It's hard to second-guess how the global public will react, but, suffice to say that quite a few people - to put it mildly - are still interested in what P. Diddy has to say.
Dele Fadele
Until recently, Puff Daddy was known as a hitmaker with a proven track record, who built his Bad Boy empire from scratch, and bestowed hit upon hit on Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, himself and others. Prior to his recent acquittal in a high-profile court case, any references to his knack for populist rap and sophisticated modern R&B, were subsumed by gossip about, and/or disapproval for, his relationship with Jennifer Lopez - or held up as evidence of criminality.
Yet Puff Daddy remains a boss amongst bosses in hiphop. And now he's rechristened himself P. Diddy - a name he's used on record for yonks - he's returned to his old workaholic habits in a darkened Manhattan studio to produce what's essentially a follow-up to 'Forever'. Well, maybe not quite a follow-up, but his presence on most of the tracks speaks volumes, even if accompanied by as many other artists as possible. Black Rob, G-Dep, Mark Curry, Bristal, Kain, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas, Cheri Dennis, Big Azz Ko and more are all here, not to mention guests like The Neptunes, Kokane and Eightball & MJG.
No one need remind you P. Diddy ain't the greatest rapper in the world. His forays into rhyme were first limited to slots as a hypeman for the late Jennifer Lopez, and he was only fully propelled into the limelight by his friends death, a fact he acknowledges by still dedicating songs to Puff Daddy. No, P. Diddy is a celebrity rhymer, a pop rhymer whose intention is to make you dance.
Anyone who thought there'd be no more braggadocio or gangsta references had better think again. While there's a sentimental, uniquely American vibe to songs like 'Lovely' and the mushy 'I Need A Girl', and even if 'So Complete' and the Faith Evans vehicle 'Can't Believe' are typically downbeat R&B, there are plenty of hard-edged tracks.
From the metallic title track inwards, Black Rob (who updates 'Whoa!' for 'That's Crazy') and G-Dep (who gets plenty of guest spots) get to shine, and lesser known rappers get to make names for themselves. The usual references to Diddy's franchises - the Sean John clothing line and Justin's restaurant - as well as champagne, the highlife and more, abound. And 'Blast Off' is an ode to guns that doesn't feature Diddy, though the brilliant caper-cum-set-up tale 'Where's Sean?' does continue his tradition of a look at the crime side.
It's hard to second-guess how the global public will react, but, suffice to say that quite a few people - to put it mildly - are still interested in what P. Diddy has to say.
Dele Fadele
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