Birth name	Faith Renee Evans
Background	solo_singer
Born	June 10, 1973Lakeland, Florida United States
Married to	Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, Todd Russaw
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, United States
Voice type	Mezzo_soprano
Genre	R&B;, soul, hip hop soul, hip hop
Occupation	Singer-Songwriter, record producer, actress, author
Years active	1993–present
Label	Bad Boy (1994–2004) Capitol (2004–2007) Prolific/E1 Music (2009-present)
Associated acts	Notorious B.I.G., Sean "Puffy" Combs, Mary J. Blige, 112.
Url	FaithEvansOnline.com

Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, she became the first female artist to be contracted with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company during 1994, for which she released three platinum-certified studio albums between the years 1995 and 2001. Her father, Richard Swain, was a musician who left before Evans was born (Evans has said "I've heard people mumble something about him being Italian, but I don't know for sure"). A half year later, 19-year-old Helene returned to Newark, New Jersey and left Faith with her cousin Johnnie Mae and husband Orvelt Kennedy, the foster parents of more than a hundred children they raised in the time that Faith lived with them. It was not until a couple of years later that Helene's career floundered and she tried to take Evans back home. Faith, however, was afraid to leave what she'd "been used to", and instead, Helene relocated next door. While attending University High School in Newark, she sang with several jazz bands and, encouraged by Helene, entered outside pageants, festivals and contests, where her voice would be noticed and praised. After graduating from high school during 1991, Evans attended Fordham University in New York City to study marketing but ended out a year later to have daughter Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin.

Recording career

1994—2004: Bad Boy Records

Newly contracted to Bad Boy Records, Evans was consulted by executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and writing skills to Mary J. Blige's My Life (1994) and Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) prior to starting work on her debut record album Faith. Released on August 29, 1995 in North America, the album was a collaboration with Bad Boy's main producers "The Hitmen", including Chucky Thompson and Combs, but it resulted in recordings with Poke & Tone and Herb Middleton. Faith became a success based on the singles "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home". The album was certified Platinum with 1,500,000 copies sold, according to RIAA.

After Biggie's murder during March 1997, Combs helped Evans produce her tribute song named "I'll Be Missing You", based on the melody of The Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take". The song, which featured Combs, Evans, and all-male group 112, became a worldwide number-one success and debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart during 1997, scoring that for eleven weeks. It eventually won Puffy and Evans the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Two years in the making, Evans' second solo effort, Keep the Faith, was released during October 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album difficult to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress at first. Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long", prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year. Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album scored number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but yielded moderately successful singles, with the Jennifer Lopez-written "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry. Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributor Arista Records to Universal, Evans felt Faithfully received minimum assistance by the company, and during 2004, she finally decided to end her business with Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't improve her career any more due to his other commitments.

2004—2007: Capitol Records

After ending with Bad Boy Entertainment Evans contracted with Capitol Records company, becoming the first contemporary R&B; artist to do so, and started work on her fourth studio album The First Lady, named after her nickname on her former label. Upon its release in April 2005, The First Lady scored at number two on the Billboard 200 and #1 of the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Evans' best-charting album to date. It was eventually certified gold by the RIAA.

At the end of the year, Evans released A Faithful Christmas, a holiday album of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks. The effort would become her last release on Capitol Records as the company was bought during 2007.

Other ventures

Acting

Having previously appeared in stage plays as a teenager, Evans began acting with a supporting role in director Robert Adetuyi's 2000 music drama Turn It Up, featuring Jason Statham and Ja Rule. Released to generally negative reviews from critics, who noted it "patently absurd in both the details and larger aspects", the indie film had a short play and became a financial disappointment, gaining US$1.24 million during its U.S. run only.

During 2003, Evans acted in the MTV-produced romantic comedy The Fighting Temptations in which she appeared in a brief but major role portraying a single mother and night club singer. Filmed in Columbus, Georgia and headed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (her character is his mother) and Beyoncé Knowles, the film garnered mixed reviews by critcs, but scored top top three of the U.S. box office, resulting in a domestic gross of US$30.2 million. In addition, Evans recorded a contemporary cover version of Donna Summer's 1978 success "Heaven Knows" for the film which her characters performs during one of the first in sequence in the film. The accompanying soundtrack scored the top twenty of the U.S. Billboard 200.

During 2004, Evans earned a brief guest stint on the UPN situation comedy Half & Half. Evans announced that she had been working on a synopsis for her own situation comedy that would be based largely on her life but with a more comedic aspect. It is unknown whether she has officially pitched the sitcom to any television networks at this time.

It has been announced that Evans will play Florence Ballard in a upcoming bio-movie about the late singer's life as an initial member of one of the most successful US groups of all-time, The Supremes. The movie will be directed by Martha Coolidge.

Writing

Evans released her biographic book called Keep the Faith: A Memoir on August 29, 2008. It detailed the singer's life, but also discussed Evans' controversial relationship with her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.:

"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death. My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It's not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I've decided I'll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself."

In its initial release, "Keep The Faith: A Memoir" landed in the Top 20 on New York's Best Seller's List two consecutive weeks in a row. During 2009, the book received The 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir.

Personal life

Prior to Evans meeting and having a relationship with The Notorious B.I.G., she was involved in a relationship with Kiyamma Griffin. She and Griffin had a daughter named Chyna (born April 1, 1993).

On August 4, 1994, Evans married rapper and label mate The Notorious B.I.G., after having met him at a Bad Boy photoshoot. The couple had one child together, Christopher Wallace, Jr. (born October 29, 1996), but the marriage was turbulent as Wallace reportedly had several affairs during their union, including relationships with fellow rappers Lil' Kim and Charli Baltimore. Additionally, it led to Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, which ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California in March 1997, The couple agreed to spend 13 weeks in a drug-treatment program in exchange for halting any further prosecution of their drug-possession case.

Discography

Studio albums

1995: Faith

1998: Keep the Faith

2001: Faithfully

2005: The First Lady

2005: A Faithful Christmas

2010: Something About Faith

Tours

The First Lady Tour (2005)

Filmography

2000: Turn It Up

2003: The Fighting Temptations

Awards and nominations

African American Literary Award

*2009: African American Literary Award: Keep the Faith (A Memoir) (won)

BET Awards

*2002: Best Female R&B; Artist (nominated)

Grammy Awards

*2011: Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance: "Gone Already" (nominated)

*2003: Best Contemporary R&B; Album: Faithfully (nominated)

*2002: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group: "Can't Believe" w/ Carl Thomas (nominated)

*2000: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group: "Heartbreak Hotel" w/ Whitney Houston & Kelly Price (nominated)

*1999: Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance: "Love Like This" (nominated)

*1998: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "I'll Be Missing You" w/ Diddy (won)

Lady of Soul Awards

*2000: Outstanding Music Video: "Love Is Blind" (by Eve ft. Faith Evans) (nominated)

*1996: Best Female R&B;/Soul Album: Faith (won)

*1996: Best R&B;/Soul or Rap New Artist: "You Used to Love Me" (nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards

*2000: Best Rap Video: "Love Is Blind" (by Eve ft. Faith Evans) (nominated)

*1999: Best R&B; Video: "Heartbreak Hotel" (nominated)

*1997: Best R&B; Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (won)

*1997: Viewer's Choice: "I'll Be Missing You" (nominated)

Soul Train Awards

*2006: Best Female R&B;/Soul Album: The First Lady (nominated)

*1998: Outstanding Music Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (won)

References

External links

Official site

Faith Evans interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' November 2010

The Observer interview, 2005

Vibe interview, 2005

Category:1973 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:African American actors Category:African American female singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American Christians Category:American film actors Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Beatboxers Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:People from Lakeland, Florida Category:People from Newark, New Jersey

Name	Sean Combs
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sean John Combs
Alias	DiddyP. DiddyPuff Daddy
Born	November 04, 1969New York City, New York, U.S.
Origin	Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Genre	Hip hop, R&B;
Occupation	Rapper, record producer, actor, fashion designer
Years active	1991–present
Label	Bad Boy, Interscope
Associated acts	Diddy-Dirty Money, Faith Evans, The Neptunes, Lil' Kim, Rick Ross, Mase, The Notorious B.I.G., Usher, Jay-Z
Url

Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage name Diddy or P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor and men's fashion designer. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award.

Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He dropped out of Howard University to become a top executive at Uptown Records and founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. He was originally known as Puff Daddy and then as P. Diddy (Puff and Puffy being often used as a nickname, but never as recording names). In August 2005, he changed his stage name to simply "Diddy", but continues to use the name P. Diddy in the UK as the result of a lawsuit.

His business interests under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide include Bad Boy Records; the clothing lines Sean John & Sean by Sean Combs; a movie production company; and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. In 2011 Forbes estimated his net worth at $475 million, making him the richest figure in hip hop.

Early life

Sean Combs was born in a public housing project in Harlem, New York, the son of Janice, a model and teacher, and Melvin Earl Combs. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. When Combs was a child, his father, aged 33, an associate of Frank Lucas (the New York drug lord), was shot to death in his car at a Manhattan park after attending a party. Lucas and rival gangster Nicky Barnes both publicly state that they were close to Melvin.

Combs played football at the Roman Catholic Mount Saint Michael Academy. In 1986, his team won a division title; he graduated in 1987.

Combs says he was given the nickname "Puff" as a child because he would "huff and puff" when he was angry, and "Daddy" was another version of "playa".

Music career

Uptown Records

Combs attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he showed a penchant for marketing and gained a reputation as a party promoter. He eventually became an intern at New York's Uptown Records. when he became a top executive at Uptown. He was instrumental in developing Jodeci and signing and producing Mary J. Blige.

In 1991, Combs promoted a concert, headlined by Heavy D and held at the City College of New York gymnasium, following an AIDS charity basketball game. The event was overcrowded since it was oversold to almost twice capacity, while thousands without tickets were outside. To keep them out Combs' people shut the only door to a stairwell and put a table behind it, though the crowd jammed inside was pounding on the door and pleading for help. When the crowd outside broke several glass doors in an attempt to get in a stampede ensued inside the gymnasium in which nine people died. In a 1999 ruling, a Court of Claims judge found Puff Daddy and Heavy D. responsible for 50 percent of the incident. City College bore the rest of the responsibility in part for abandoning security responsibility to Puff Daddy though they knew the event was oversold.

Establishing Bad Boy Records

near Times Square looking down to a billboard of Combs]]

In 1993, after being fired from Uptown, Combs established Bad Boy Records, taking then-newcomer The Notorious B.I.G. with him. Both The Notorious B.I.G. and Craig Mack quickly released hit singles, followed by similarly successful LPs, particularly The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die.

By the late 1990s, he was receiving criticism for watering down and overly commercializing hip-hop and overusing guest appearances by other artists, samples and interpolations of past hits in his own hit songs.

Club New York

In December 1999, Combs was accused of assaulting Steve Stoute of Interscope Records. Stoute was the manager for Nas. Combs had filmed a video scene earlier that year for "Hate Me Now" that featured Nas being crucified but demanded that the images be removed. Stoute's refusal led to an argument and Puff Daddy's arrest for aggravated assault. This was followed by yet more negative publicity as The Lox left Bad Boy Records and a recording session with Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, both of The Notorious B.I.G.'s Junior M.A.F.I.A. posse, was interrupted by gunfire.

On December 27, 1999, Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire broke out. After a police investigation, Combs and fellow rapper Shyne were arrested for weapons violations and other charges. The New York County District Attorney's Office, led by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, indicted Combs after his driver, Wardel Fenderson, claimed that Combs had tried to bribe him into taking the weapon after the shooting.

With a gag order in place, the highly publicized trial began. His attorneys were Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and Benjamin Brafman. After the trial was over, Combs was found not guilty on all charges; Shyne was convicted on the same charges

"P. Diddy"

In 2001, after his acquittal on gun possession and bribery charges, Combs changed his stage name from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy". He later appeared as a drug dealer in the film Made and starred with Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball. He tried to reinvent his image, working on a gospel album, Thank You, but soon faced assault charges by a Michigan television host, Dr. Roger Mills, also known as Rogelio Mills, and then was arrested for driving on a suspended license in Florida. Combs began working with a series of unusual (for him) artists. A collaboration with David Bowie appeared on the soundtrack to Training Day and he also worked with Britney Spears and 'N Sync. He signed California-based pop girl group Dream to his record label. He was also an opening act for 'N Sync on their Spring 2002 Celebrity Tour.

Later in 2002, he made his own reality show on MTV called Making the Band 2, a sequel to the first Making the Band, in which contestants competed to be in a new group on Bad Boy Records. Six finalists were to come up with their name, CD and video (see Da Band). The group, maligned by comics and critics and drawing a skit on Chappelle's Show, was dissolved by Combs at the end of the series.

In 2003, Combs ran in the New York City Marathon and raised $2,000,000 for the educational system for the children of New York. On March 10, 2004, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the marathon, which he finished in four hours and eighteen minutes.

In 2004, Combs headed the campaign "Vote or Die" for the 2004 Presidential Election. The "Vote or Die" slogan was mocked by both The Daily Show and South Park as being too simplistic and encouraging young people to vote without knowing the issues. In a South Park episode entitled "Douche and Turd", Combs and his friends were depicted chasing Stan Marsh, one of the show's main characters, around with weapons, literally threatening to kill him if he wouldn't vote in his school election.

"Diddy"

On August 16, 2005, Combs appeared on Today and announced that he was altering his stage name yet again, dropping the "P." and referring to himself simply as "Diddy", saying that "the P was getting between me and my fans." However this upset Richard "Diddy" Dearlove, a London based musical artist & DJ, who in November 2005 sought an injunction of the Royal Courts of Justice, London but accepted an out-of-court settlement of £110,000. As a result, Combs no longer uses the name Diddy in the UK, where he is still known as P. Diddy.

Combs starred in the 2005 , played Walter Lee Younger in the critically acclaimed 2004 Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun and the television adaptation which was aired in February 2008. In the same year Combs sold his record company to the Warner Music Group. Tensions still existed between him and former Warner CEOs Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles (both formerly of Def Jam) but they arranged for his imprint to be a part of the company. In an interview with AndPOP Combs said that he was developing a line of men's suits. He later hosted the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2005 by Time magazine. He even earned a mention in the world of country music: The narrator of "Play Something Country" by Brooks & Dunn and Sean Okundaye says he "didn't come to hear P Diddy", which he rhymes with "something bumpin' from the city."

In 2006, after trying to move Mase away from Bad Boy Records, 50 Cent recorded a dis song, "Hip-Hop", in which he implied that Combs knew about The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder. The feud was resolved, with both rappers appearing on MTV's TRL and Sucker Free, respectively, stating that there were no longer problems.

Combs released his first album in 4 years, Press Play, on October 17, 2006 on the Bad Boy Records label with guest appearances from Christina Aguilera, Keyshia Cole, Mario Winans (signed to his label 'Bad Boy Records'), Nas, Will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), Mary J. Blige, Nicole Scherzinger (of the Pussycat Dolls), Jamie Foxx, Fergie, Big Boi (of Outkast), Ciara, Twista, Just Blaze, Pharrell, Brandy. The album reached number one on its first week in the charts.

It was reported that Combs would be singing on all the tracks of this album but he did not sing at all on the album's first single, "Come To Me" (featuring Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls), but rather did his traditional rapping. He did sing on the third single, "Last Night" (featuring Keyshia Cole). "Tell Me" (featuring Christina Aguilera) was released as the second single. He was asking fans on his MySpace page to help him choose the fourth single, which was "Through the Pain (She Told Me)" (featuring Mario Winans).

In October 2007, he was sued by hip-hop promoter James Waldon for allegedly unleashing three violent bodyguards on him in a New York nightclub. In March 2008, a source for the Los Angeles Times claimed that The Notorious B.I.G. and Combs orchestrated the '94 robbery and assassination attempt on Tupac, substantiating the claim with supposed FBI documents to that effect; the newspaper later retracted the story, acknowledging that the supporting FBI documents had been fabricated.

In June 2008, Combs' representative denied rumors of another name change. August 2008 saw Combs venture into reality television with the premiere of his VH1 series I Want to Work for Diddy. After the second season finale of , Combs confirmed that he will be heading back into the studio to record his next album. He posted a Myspace Bulletin on February 19, 2009 that his next album is set to release in November 2009.

Combs has stated that he would like to work with Leona Lewis on his new album. In an interview with The Daily Mail he said: "I had Christina Aguilera on my last album, but its all about Leona Lewis on my next."

Under his real name of Sean Combs, he starred in two episodes of Season 7 of ; 'Presumed Guilty' and 'Sink or Swim' in the role of the lawyer Derek Powell.

He has created a rap supergroup known as "The Dream Team". The group consists of Diddy, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes and Red Café. Fabolous is also rumored to be in the group.

On Thursday, March 10, 2011 Diddy-Dirty Money performed the single "Coming Home" with singer/songwriter Skylar Grey and two female background vocalists Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper, live on American Idol. Forty six minutes into the show, Ryan Seacrest introduced Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey. Grey started the performance seated at a piano singing the song's opening refrain. Diddy-Dirty Money's performance lasted four minutes.

On April 18, 2011, Diddy appeared in the 21st episode of season one of Hawaii Five-0 as an undercover NYPD detective.

Business ventures

In 2002, he was featured on Fortune magazine's "40 Richest People Under 40" list and was placed number one in the list of the top ten richest people in hip-hop. In 2010 his estimated worth was US $475 million, making him the richest person in the hip hop entertainment business.

Sean John

clothing line)]] In 1998, Combs started a clothing line, Sean John. It was nominated for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2000, and won in 2004.

The clothing line was subject to controversy in 2003 when it was discovered that factories producing the clothing in Honduras were violating Honduran labor law. Among the accusations put forth were that workers were subjected to body searches and paid sweatshop wages. Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee, who first exposed the factory, is quoted in the New York Times as saying, "Sean Puff Daddy obviously has a lot of clout, he can literally do a lot overnight to help these workers." On February 14, 2004, Kernaghann announced on Pacifia station that Combs had made some "unprecedented" changes at factories including adding air conditioning and water purification systems, and allowing a union to form.

In late 2006, MSNBC reported, "Macy's has pulled from its shelves and its Web site two styles of Sean John hooded jackets, originally advertised as featuring faux fur, after an investigation by the nation's largest animal protection organization concluded that the garments were actually made from an animal called a 'raccoon dog'". Combs said he had been unaware of the material, but as soon as he knew about it, he had his clothing line stop using the material. In 2008 he appeared in a Macy's commercial.

In November 2008, Combs launched his latest men's perfume under the Sean John brand called "I Am King" dedicated to Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King. In November 2008, he unveiled a new Times Square billboard for the "I Am King" line to replace his iconic Sean John ad. The giant billboard is currently the largest static ad in Times Square. Model Bar Refaeli was chosen to be the face of the fragrance.

Other ventures

In addition to his clothing line, Combs owns an upscale restaurant chain called Justin's, named after his son. The current restaurant is in Atlanta; the original New York location closed in September 2007. He is the designer of the green Dallas Mavericks alternate jersey.

On September 18, 2007, Combs teamed up with 50 Cent and Jay-Z for the "Forbes I Get Money Billion Dollar Remix." He also made appearances with Jay-Z on his American Gangster concert tour in 2007.

As of October 2007, Combs has inked a multi-year deal, in which he'll help develop the Ciroc brand, one of Diageo PLC's super-premium Vodka lines, for a share in the profits. The agreement is the latest in which a celebrity is going beyond the typical role of endorser to share in a brand's rise and fall. Diageo said the agreement could be worth more than $100 million for Combs and his company, Sean Combs Enterprises, over the course of the deal, depending on how well the brand performs. Since then, he has launched multiple ventures for Ciroc, many of which were featured during the 2008 presidential election.

Combs acquired the Enyce clothing line from Liz Claiborne for $20 million on October 21, 2008.

After a prolific Twitter campaign by comedian Chris Gethard, Combs is set to make an appearance at the comedian's live show in January 2010 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. In February 2010, Combs announced on CNN to Wolf Blitzer, that he plans to open a business school in New York. He announced that he wanted a school, "that’s known for building leaders."

Personal life

premiere]]

Family

Combs has never married, but he is the biological father of five children and the informal stepfather of another child. His on-again, off-again girlfriend Kimberly Porter has a son, Quincy Jones Brown (born December 1991) with 1980s New Jack Swing romantic singer/producer Al B Sure. Quincy was featured on My Super Sweet 16. Combs' first biological child is Justin Dior Combs (born December 1993), from a relationship with his , designer Misa Hylton-Brim. In January 2010 it was widely reported that Combs presented his son Justin with a $360,000 Maybach car (and chauffeur) as a 16th birthday present. Justin was also featured on My Super Sweet 16. His second child is son Christian Casey Combs (born April 1998) with Kim Porter. Porter is also the mother of Combs' twin daughters, D'Lila Star Combs and Jessie James Combs (born December 2006). In July 2007 Combs and Porter ended their relationship. In October 2007, Combs took legal responsibility for Chance, his daughter with Sarah Chapman. and a pair of cufflinks to commemorate the inauguration of an annual October 13 "Diddy Day". He received the honor as reward for certain charitable work at Chicago's City Hall.

Wardrobe style

In the February 2007 issue of Blender magazine, Combs spoke about his wardrobe. He describes his style in three words: "Swagger. Timeless. Diverse." On September 2, 2007, Combs held his ninth annual "White Party" in which all guests are limited to an all white dress code. The White Party, which has also been held in St. Tropez, was held in his Long Island home in East Hampton. It featured a white carpet to go along with the white dress code. Combs stated, "This party is up there with the top three that I've thrown, It's a party that has legendary status. It's hard to throw a party that lives up to its legend."

Discography

;Studio albums

1997: No Way Out

1999: Forever

2001: The Saga Continues...

2002: We Invented the Remix

2006: Press Play

2010: Last Train to Paris

Accolades

NAACP Image Awards

* 2009, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, A Raisin in the Sun (Winner)

MOBO Awards

* 2007, Best International Act (Nominated)

BET Awards

* 2007, Best Male Hip Hop Artist (Nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards

* 1997, Best R&B; Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (Winner)

* 1998, Viewers Choice: "It's All About The Benjamins (Rock Remix)" (Winner)

Grammy Awards {| class=wikitable |- ! Year ! Category ! Genre ! Song ! Result |- align=center | 1998 | Best New Artist | General | N/A | |- align=center | 1998 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" | |- align=center | 1998 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "Mo Money Mo Problems" | |- align=center | 1998 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "I'll Be Missing You" | |- align=center | 1998 | Best Rap Album | Rap | No Way Out | |- align=center | 2000 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "Satisfy You" | |- align=center | 2002 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "Bad Boy For Life" | |- align=center | 2003 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "Pass the Courvoisier (Part 2)" | |- align=center | 2004 | Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group | Rap | "Shake Ya Tailfeather" | |}

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (Albums Executive Produced by Sean Combs)

{|class=wikitable |- ! Rank ! Artist ! Album ! Year |- align=center |133 |The Notorious B.I.G. |Ready To Die |1994 |- align=center |279 |Mary J. Blige |My Life |1994 |- align=center |483 |The Notorious B.I.G. |Life After Death |1997 |}

References

External links

Official website

Sean Combs at MTV

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:1990s rappers Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Actors from New York City Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:American dance musicians Category:American fashion designers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American male singers Category:American music video directors Category:American socialites Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Howard University alumni Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Harlem Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:Rappers from New York City

Name	Jadakiss
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jason Phillips
Born	May 27, 1975 Yonkers, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	1994–present
Label	D-Block, Ruff Ryders, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Associated acts	Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Ruff Ryders, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon, Pharrell, Jay-Z, Nate Dogg, Jaheim, DJ Khaled, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Benzino, Mariah Carey

Jason Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.

Early life

By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle rapper. He and some of his friends were given the opportunity to compete in the "Jack the Rapper Competition" in Florida, where Jadakiss was noticed for his battle rap ability. He met Dee and Wah of the Ruff Ryders (then a management company), and began hanging out and battling outside of the Ruff Ryders' studio where artists such as DMX made their first hits.

Career

Early career

Jadakiss founded the rap group The Warlocks in 1994 with friends, Chris "Lil Mac" Pelkey, and Styles P. They later signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, where it was suggested that they change their name simply to "The LOX", which came to stand for Living Off eXperience. They made their first appearance on The Main Source's 1994 LP Fuck What You Think on the track "Set it Off".

The group, especially Jadakiss, developed a close relationship with The Notorious B.I.G., during which time Jadakiss was taken under Biggie's wing. The LOX's first hit was the tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. called "We'll Always Love Big Poppa" (the B-side to Puff Daddy's "I'll Be Missing You") in 1997. In 1998, the LOX released Money, Power & Respect. Following this album, they left Bad Boy Records.

2001-2003: Kiss Tha Game Goodbye

Jada's debut solo album, Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, was released in August 2001 under the Ruff Ryders/Interscope label. The album featured popular guests and producers such as DJ Premier, The Alchemist, DMX, Snoop Dogg and Swizz Beatz, but was written off as repetitive and uninspired. Jadakiss has acknowledged the criticism as, generally speaking, valid, saying the record was done less out of inspiration and more out of contract obligations to Bad Boy. The album produced the single "Put Ya Hands Up."

2004-2008: Kiss of Death and signing to Def Jam''

Jadakiss' second album, Kiss of Death, was released in June 2004. His song "Why?" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) became one of the biggest hits of 2004, spawning a remix featuring Styles P, Common, Nas, and Hamilton. "Why?" remains Jada's biggest hit, peaking at #11 on the Hot 100. Another single from the record, "U Make Me Wanna" featured Mariah Carey and was a much more commercially driven love song. Kiss of Death did not reflect the popularity of its lead single, but it was better-received than his first effort.

Recently, in late 2007, Jadakiss signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, a move Jay had been trying to arrange for a long period of time. Jadakiss released his latest album, The Last Kiss, on Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella Records in April 2009, executive produced by both Jay-Z and the Ruff Ryders CEOs/management team of Dee and Wah. The move comes on the heels of increased D-Block/Roc-a-Fella collaborations; in 2006, Kiss and former rival Beanie Sigel collaborated on DJ Khaled's album Listen..., and in 2007, on Freeway's album Free At Last. Styles P has appeared on a radio freestyle with Freeway and Sigel. He has also appeared briefly in Jay-Z's latest video for his American Gangster second single, "Roc Boys," in which he appears throwing up the famous Roc-a-Fella sign, "the Diamond."

2009-present: The Last Kiss, Leaving Roc-A-Fella and Top 5, Dead or Alive

In 2009, Jadakiss released his third official album, The Last Kiss. The first single is "By My Side", featuring Ne-Yo. The second official single is "Can't Stop Me". The third official single is "Death Wish", featuring Lil Wayne. The fourth official single is "Who's Real", featuring Swizz Beatz and OJ Da Juiceman. In 2010, Jadakiss left Roc-a-Fella to reunite with the Ruff Ryders label.

On May 31, 2011, Jadakiss will release his fourth studio album Top 5, Dead or Alive.

Controversy

Roc-a-Fella/Sigel

Jadakiss was engaged in a long feud with several Roc-A-Fella Records artists, specifically Beanie Sigel and State Property, beginning in 2001. The feud began when Jadakiss stated in a radio interview that many Philadelphia artists at the time were biting his style. Being from Philly, Beanie Sigel took offense and came with a diss freestyle over Jadakiss's single "Put Ya Hands Up". Jadakiss responded with a diss freestyle of his own. Soon after, members of both The Lox and State Property were involved in the feud. The Lox and State Property would continue to diss each other on radio freestyles and mixtape songs for the next few years. The problem was eventually resolved, and since then, the LOX and Beanie Sigel have collaborated on various tracks together, including Sheek Louch's Kiss Your Ass Goodbye Remix, Ghostface Killah's "Barrell Brothers" which features both Styles P and Beanie Sigel and DJ Khaled's track "Problems" which features Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss. Definite signs that the feud was over came in 2007 when Jay-Z signed Jadakiss to Roc-A-Fella.

P. Diddy

When the LOX left Bad Boy Records, the group's and each of its members' publishing was still owned by label head P. Diddy. The LOX released several tracks like "We Are The Streets" and "Blood Pressure" which allegedly were aimed towards P. Diddy. The group fought with him over royalties, debt issues and other things until 2005 when they briefly put their differences aside to perform with Jay-Z at his "I Declare War" concert. Afterward, they went on New York radio station Hot 97 to ask for their publishing, which was given to them by Diddy. It is anticipated that The LOX will re-sign with Puff and release their next album on Bad Boy Records, but a deal has yet to be finalized.

50 Cent

In 2004, Jadakiss and Fat Joe were featured in Ja Rule's "New York" single. In this song, Ja Rule took obvious shots at 50 Cent. In turn, 50 Cent made a song titled "Piggy Bank" in which he disses Fat Joe and Jadakiss. This caused Jadakiss to release "Checkmate", "Problem Child", "Shots Fired" and "I'm Sorry Ms. Jackson". 50 Cent along with his G-Unit crew responded with songs such as "I Run New York", "Window Shopper", and "Death Wish" by Lloyd Banks. Jadakiss challenged 50 Cent to an onstage battle in Madison Square Garden for 1 million dollars, but 50 Cent declined. The feud was later resolved, with the respective parties performing together at 50 Cent's ThisIs50 Festival.

Bill O'Reilly

Jadakiss attracted some controversy and condemnation from commentator Bill O'Reilly, who labeled him a "smear merchant" due to lyrics in the song "Why?", which state Jada's belief that George W. Bush coordinated the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"Why do niggas push pounds of powder? Why did Bush knock down the towers?" In the music video for "Why?", a man holds up a picket sign reading "Buck Fush" (a spoonerism of "Fuck Bush").

O'Reilly took the position that the President should be allowed to sue Jadakiss for slander. The track was eventually banned on some radio stations or played with the lyrics in question censored.

Discography

;Studio albums

2001: Kiss tha Game Goodbye

2004: Kiss of Death

2009: The Last Kiss

2011: Top 5, Dead or Alive

See also

The LOX

Ruff Ryders

References

External links

Official website

Jaheim ft. Jadakiss- Every time I think About Her Official Music Video

Jadakiss at his Coogi Photo Shoot

Backstage with Jadakiss at the Highline Ballroom

Photos from Jadakiss' set at SXSW 2009 from Phrequency.com

Jadakiss interview with HHC Digital magazine

Jadakiss top 5 dead or alive

Category:African American rappers Category:Ruff Ryders artists Category:D-Block Records members Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York Category:People from Yonkers, New York Category:Rappers from New York City Category:1975 births