Bad Boy Records
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bad Boy Records | |
|---|---|
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| Parent company | Warner Music Group |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Sean "Diddy" Combs |
| Status | Active |
| Distributing label | Atlantic Records (US) WEA International (Non-US) |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | New York City |
| Official website | Bad Boy Records |
Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast record label, dealing largely in Hip-Hop/R&B music, founded by producer/rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs in 1993.[1] Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
After his climb from a non-paying internship to becoming an A&R executive at Uptown Records, Sean ("Diddy") Combs was abruptly terminated in 1993 by then CEO Andre Harrell—reportedly due to his own difficulty to work with.[3] Upon his firing, Arista Records chief Clive Davis took advantage of Combs' free agent status and agreed to bankroll him his own vanity label to be operated through Arista and its BMG parent. A handful of the acts who had been signed to Uptown via Combs just prior to his dismissal were dropped from the label; among them were Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.), and Craig Mack—both of whom Combs would take with him to his new company.
The label’s first release was Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear", followed quickly by Mack's debut album, Project: Funk Da World in 1994. On the heels of these releases came "Juicy" and Ready To Die, the lead single and debut album from The Notorious B.I.G. (who would also be referred to as "Biggie"), released the same year. While Mack's album went gold, Ready to Die achieved multi-platinum success. Dominating the charts into 1995, B.I.G. became one of the rap world's biggest names of the day and Bad Boy’s premier star. Also in 1995, the label continued its success with platinum releases by Total and Faith Evans. Bad Boy, meanwhile, staffed a bevy of in-house writer/producers, including: Chucky Thompson, Easy Mo Bee, Nashiem Myrick and D Dot—all of whom were instrumental in producing many of Bad Boy’s most noted releases during this time.
[edit] Bad Boy vs. Death Row
The quick success of The Notorious B.I.G., and Bad Boy as a company, did not sit well with all—most notably the Los Angeles-based Death Row Records. For two years leading up to 1995, Death Row (and the west coast hip hop scene that it led) had largely dominated the commercial rap scene. With Bad Boy, and east coast hip hop, now garnering the notoriety that it was, resentment loomed as the attention and acclaim now had to be shared.
Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, especially didn’t take too kindly to the emergence of Bad Boy, and publicly jeered Combs. Tensions were heightened when west coast rap superstar Tupac Shakur (2Pac) signed with Death Row, after having recently forged an indignant rivalry with Wallace (B.I.G.). More fuel was added to the fire when some music fans began taking sides between Wallace and Shakur, Bad Boy and Death Row, as well as East coast-vs.-West Coast.
While Combs made a handful of attempts to denounce the coastal/label feud, and didn’t allow any of Bad Boy’s artists to publicly lash back at the slights coming from the other side, most of it fell on deaf ears as tensions reached a boiling point in 1996. Later in the year on September 7, 2Pac was shot and killed in a drive-by by a still-unknown gunman. Though Bad Boy issued a public statement of condolence, the bad blood continued. On March 9, 1997, as the label readied for the release of Biggie’s double album, Life After Death, he too was shot and killed, in similar circumstances as 2Pac. The deaths of Biggie and 2Pac left many to speculate if the coastal hostility had been responsible for their demises. The police investigations of both cases, meanwhile, remain unsolved.
[edit] Life after Biggie
Posthumously, Biggie’s Life After Death entered Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at number one. Its first two singles, "Hypnotize" and "Mo Money, Mo Problems" also topped the singles charts. It eventually sold 10 million copies in the United States alone, and is one of the highest selling rap albums ever.
In early 1997, Puff Daddy had begun recording his own solo debut album. The first single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," peaked at number one on the rap, R&B, and pop charts that spring. In response to Biggie’s death, the label rush-released a Puff Daddy tribute song, "I'll Be Missing You", which featured Biggie's widow, Faith Evans, and Bad Boy's R&B singing group 112. The single topped the charts for eleven weeks and became the hasty second single from Combs’ album, No Way Out, which was released in the summer and sold seven million copies. Mase, Combs’ newest protégé, in the meantime was immediately thrust into the void that Biggie left. His own debut album, Harlem World, also released the same year, would go 4x platinum. Due to the successive successes of Life After Death, No Way Out, and Harlem World, by the end of 1997, Bad Boy as a label and brand name had hit a commercial peak. During this time, the label began to promote its latest signing—the Yonkers-based act, The L.O.X., who had been prominently featured on various Bad Boy releases that year. Though highly anticipated, their 1998 debut album, Money, Power & Respect sold below commercial expectation. Shortly thereafter, the group departed the label and entered into a long standing publishing dispute with Combs that would continue up until 2005.
In the years to follow, Bad Boy saw a decline. In 1999, Mase became religious and abruptly retired from the business—leaving a serious dent in the company, especially since his second album had just been released. Bad Boy found some success with Shyne, a young rapper from Brooklyn, who garnered both praise and criticism for his deep voice and slow flow—which many considered to be too reminiscent to, and perhaps a rip-off of, the Notorious B.I.G. Meanwhile, Combs' own follow-up albums failed to generate the same kind of acclaim that his debut had. In an attempt to further market himself, he underwent several name changes; from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy", to now simply "Diddy".
As the 2000s emerged, Bad Boy had noticeably floundered. Many of its more noted acts would eventually vacate the label, while those who remained saw their sales dwindle as time went on. In spite of continually releasing new material, and various attempts at building artists to the status of Bad Boy’s deceased icon, few proved as successful as the company hoped.
Southern rap duo 8Ball & MJG released an album called Living Legends to some success in 2004—prompting the creation of Bad Boy South, which would eventually house acts such as Boyz N Da Hood and Yung Joc. In 2002, Combs’ participated in MTV's Making The Band 2—which spun off the Bad Boy assembled act, Da Band. In spite of their MTV exposure leading to a gold selling debut album, Combs later disbanded the group. At this time, the label also signed a rapper named Aasim, who hasn't been heard from since his signing.
[edit] Resurgence
Arista Records bought a 50% stake in Bad Boy in 1994. Following Clive Davis’s departure from its parent company, the label broke ties with Arista and BMG—moving to Universal Music Groups’ Universal Records in 2003. The change of distribution, however, did not increase productivity. In 2005, Warner Music Group bought out the remainder of Bad Boy's agreement with Universal Music Group, then bought a large minority stake in the label.[4] Today the label is distributed through WMG's Atlantic Records, and continues to operate.
Bad Boy saw its fortunes improve in 2005,[5] with the success of releases from new signees: Cassie and Yung Joc (both of whom would score top five singles/debut albums). Also in 2006, Bad Boy hit paydirt with Making The Band 3’s Danity Kane, whose debut album topped the charts at #1 (the labels first chart topping album since the Bad Boys II soundtrack three years prior), and spun off a top five single. Their sophomore album, Welcome to the Dollhouse also debuted at #1, and containted the group's second top ten single "Damaged". Diddy also signed Day 26 & Donnie Klang to the label.
Boy band B5 has recently left Bad Boy Records due to lack of promotion.
Recently, Diddy kicked Aubrey O'Day, D.Woods, Shannon Bex, and Aundrea Fimbres out of Danity Kane. At this point the future of the group is not certain, although a recent MTV interview suggests that the internal problems within the group could be resolved. Currently Dawn Richard is working as solo artist and songwriter for Bad Boy. In March 2009 it was reported that Dawn Richard and Diddy were starting a new girl group after Making The Band finishes. In April 2009, Bad Boy signed Red Cafe to the label and The LOX has also signed back with the label.
[edit] Artists
See List of Bad Boy Records artists
[edit] Discography
| Year | Information |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Ready to Die by The Notorious B.I.G.
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Project: Funk Da World by Craig Mack
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| 1995 | Faith by Faith Evans |
| 1996 | Total by Total
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| 112 by 112 | |
| 1997 | Life After Death by The Notorious B.I.G.
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No Way Out by Puff Daddy & the Family
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Harlem World by Mase
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| 1998 | Money, Power & Respect by The L.O.X.
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Bad Boy Greatest Hits: Volume 1
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Keep the Faith by Faith Evans
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Kima, Keisha, and Pam by Total
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Room 112 by 112
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| 1999 | Double Up by Mase |
Forever by Puff Daddy
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Born Again by The Notorious B.I.G.
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| 2000 | Life Story by Black Rob |
| Emotional by Carl Thomas | |
Shyne by Shyne
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| 2001 | It Was All a Dream by Dream
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Part III by 112
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| The Saga Continues... by P. Diddy & the Bad Boy Family | |
Faithfully by Faith Evans
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Child Of The Ghetto by G. Dep
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| 2002 | We Invented The Remix: Volume 1 by P. Diddy & the Bad Boy Family
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| 2003 | Bad Boys II: The Soundtrack
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Too Hot for TV by Da Band
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Loon by Loon
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Hot & Wet by 112
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| 2004 | Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary... The Hits |
| Let's Talk About It by Carl Thomas | |
Hurt No More by Mario Winans
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| Living Legends by 8Ball & MJG | |
| Welcome Back by Mase | |
One Love by New Edition
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Bad Boy's R&B Hits
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| 2005 | Boyz n da Hood by Boyz n da Hood |
| B5 by B5 | |
| The Black Rob Report by Black Rob | |
Duets: The Final Chapter by The Notorious B.I.G.
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| 2006 | New Joc City by Yung Joc
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Cassie by Cassie
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Danity Kane by Danity Kane
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Christian Daniel by Christian Daniel
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Press Play by Diddy
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| 2007 | Greatest Hits by The Notorious B.I.G |
| Ridin High by 8Ball & MJG | |
Hustlenomics by Yung Joc
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Don't Talk, Just Listen by B5
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Welcome to the Zoo by Gorilla Zoe
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Back Up n da Chevy by Boyz n da Hood
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| 2008 | In and Out of Love by Cheri Dennis
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| Welcome to the Dollhouse by Danity Kane | |
Day26 by Day26
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| Let's Get Physical by Elephant Man | |
Just a Rolling Stone by Donnie Klang
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| 2009 | Don't Feed Da Animals by Gorilla Zoe
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Forever in a Day by Day26
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[edit] Upcoming releases
| Information |
|---|
We Invented The Remix: Volume 2 by Diddy & the Bad Boy Family
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New L.O.X. Order by The L.O.X.
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Love: It's Only Fair by Mario Winans
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Year of the Star by Dara Star
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The Shakedown by Red Cafe
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Electro Love by Cassie
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"Last Train to Paris" by Diddy
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[edit] Awards
- BET Awards
- 2007, Best Male Hip Hop Artist (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Group: Danity Kane (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Group: DAY26 (Nominated)
- Grammy Awards
- 1998, Best New Artist: Diddy (Nominated)
- 1998, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: Diddy - "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (Nominated)
- 1998, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" (Nominated)
- 1998, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: Diddy - "I'll Be Missing You" (Winner)
- 1998, Best Rap Album: Diddy - "No Way Out" (Winner)
- 2000, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: Diddy - "Satisfy You" (Nominated)
- 2002, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: Diddy - "Bad Boy For Life" (Nominated)
- 2004, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: Diddy - "Shake Ya Tailfeather" (Winner)
- MTV Music Video Awards
- 1998, Video of the Year: "It's All About The Benjamins (Rock Remix)" (Nominated)
- 1998, Best Rap Video: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" (Nominated)
- 1998, Best R&B Video: 112 - "Peaches n' Cream" (Nominated)
- 2002, Best Rap Video: Diddy - "Bad Boy For Life" (Nominated)
- 2004, Best Hip Hop Video: Diddy - "Shake Ya Tailfeather" (Nominated)
- 2006, Best Rap Video: Yung Joc - "It's Goin' Down" (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Pop Video: Danity Kane - "Damaged" (Nomination)
- 2008, Best Dancing in a Video: Danity Kane - "Damaged" (Nomination)
[edit] References
- ^ Bad Boy’s Good Man - March 2004
- ^ Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment Form Joint Venture With Warner Music Group
- ^ David E. Thigpen/Nassau (February 8, 1999). Puffy. Time. Accessed 2008-06-01
- ^ Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment Form Joint Venture With Warner Music Group (April 14, 2005) GNext. Accessed 2008-06-01.
- ^ Tamara Conniff and Bill Werde (October 4, 2006). Diddy: The Saga Continues. Billboard.com. Accessed 2006-11-22.
