Birth Name: Sean Combs
Birthdate: November 1, 1970
Birthplace: Harlem, New York
Occupations: Musician, Producer, CEO
Claim to Fame: Produced Mary J. Blige's multiplatinum debut album, What's the 411?; regarded as the seminal example of hip-hop/R&B fusion (1992)
Significant Other(s):
Jennifer Lopez, actress, singer; together 1998-February 2001
Kim Porter, model
Wife: Misa Hylton, hip-hop fashion stylist; divorced

Combs' Family:
Father: Melvin Combs; died 1973
Mother: Janice Combs, model
Son: Justin Combs; born 1994; mother, Misa Hylton: Christian Casey Combs; born 1997; mother, Kim Porter

Sean Combs was born on November 4, 1969, in Harlem to Melvin and Janice Combs. The murder of his father when he was just two years old forced his mom Janice to move Sean to Mount Vernon, New York. Sean attended Howard University in Washington, D.C, but his life took a dramatic turn when he took an internship at Uptown Entertainment, where he met the man who would become his mentor, industry leader Andre Harrell (former President of Bad Boy Entertainment). Shuttling back and forth from Washington D.C. to New York City, Combs' energy and commitment earned him the leap from intern at Uptown to Director of A&R at the age of 19.
Earned his previous nickname "Puffy" as a member of his high school football team; he "puffed" out his chest to make himself look stronger than he actually was
Currently goes by the moniker “Diddy”

"The Annivery of Bad Boy" cd cover

Shortly thereafter, in 1991, he engineered the careers of Uptown artists Jodeci and Mary J. Blige, producing their music and influencing their image by tapping into the style and flare of urban youth. This combination ushered in the new musical genre of hip-hop soul. In 1993, Sean left Uptown , but he reemerged later the same year with his own company, Bad Boy Entertainment. The company's big break came with Notorious B.I.G.'s multi-platinum debut Ready to Die. Bad Boy quickly took off, signing, developing and producing such acts as Faith Evans (then wife of Notorious B.I.G.), female trio Total, and male vocal group 112.
In 1997, Combs released the his first solo effort, No Way Out, featuring the single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down,” which held the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart for nearly two months. The album also featured a Grammy-winning tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G., entitled "I'll Be Missing You," which was a remix of the Police's 1993 song "Every Breath You Take." The album went on to win two Grammy awards, including Best Rap Album of the Year.

]

Diddy's "VOTE OR DIE" campaign

In 1999, Combs released his second album, Forever, which failed to match the success of his debut. Meanwhile, Combs celebrity status skyrocketed with his romantic relationship with Jennifer Lopez. Legal troubles began to follow Combs on a constant basis, beginning with assault charges stemming from an alleged beating of Interscope Records executive Steve Stoute. The charges were reduced to second-degree harassment, and Combs entered a one-day anger management class as punishment.