Sean Combs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean Combs
Combs in 2023
Born	Sean John Combs (1969-11-04) November 4, 1969 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Puffy Puff Puff Daddy P. Diddy Diddy Love Brother Love
Occupation	Rapper songwriter record producer record executive entrepreneur television producer
Years active	1990–present
Works	Discography filmography production
Criminal status	Incarcerated at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn without bond
Partner(s)	Kimberly Porter (1994–2007) Cassie Ventura (2007–2018) Yung Miami (2021–2024)
Children	7
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	East Coast hip hop R&B
Labels	Arista Atlantic Bad Boy BMG Epic Interscope Love Motown Universal Uptown

Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), commonly known as Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy, Puffy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Grammy Awards. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists including the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher.

Early life

Bad Boy headquarters on Broadway near Times Square. A billboard of Combs is in the distance.

Combs at the 2000 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Combs performing in 2006

Combs in October 2019

A billboard of Sean John is in the distance on Broadway, 2011.

Combs in June 2010

Sean Combs was born in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. His mom, Janice Combs, was a model and a teacher's assistant. Sadly, his dad, Melvin Earl Combs, passed away when Sean was very young. Sean has a sister named Keisha.

Even though he grew up in a not-so-rich environment, Sean had big dreams. He went to Mount Saint Michael Academy, a school where he played football. He was a good player, and his team even won a championship! He got the nickname "Puff" because he would get a little worked up when he was upset.

After high school, Sean went to Howard University to study business. However, he left college after two years to pursue his music career.

Music career

Sean's first job in the music industry was as an intern at Uptown Records in 1990. He worked hard and learned a lot about finding talented artists. He helped develop the careers of singers like Mary J. Blige and the group Jodeci.

In 1993, Sean decided to start his own record label called Bad Boy Records. This was a big step for him! He signed talented artists like The Notorious B.I.G. and Craig Mack. Bad Boy Records quickly became a successful label, producing hit songs and albums.

Some of the other artists who joined Bad Boy Records included Carl Thomas, Faith Evans, 112, Total, and Father MC. Sean also had a team of producers called The Hitmen who worked with many famous singers like Usher, Lil' Kim, Mariah Carey, and Boyz II Men.

In 1996, Sean started rapping under the name Puff Daddy. His first song, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," was a huge hit! It stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a long time and reached number one.

In 1997, Puff Daddy released his first album, "No Way Out." It was a very popular album, especially in the United States, where it reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold over 561,000 copies in its first week! The album had several hit songs, including "I'll Be Missing You," which was a tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. It was the first rap song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other popular songs from the album were "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," "It's All About the Benjamins," "Been Around the World," and "Victory." "No Way Out" won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1998.

In 2001, Sean gained full control of Bad Boy Records. He also decided to change his stage name from Puff Daddy to P. Diddy.

He was the executive producer of a reality TV show called "Making the Band," which aired on MTV from 2002 to 2009. The show helped launch the careers of groups like Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang.

In 2005, Sean changed his stage name again, this time to Diddy. He said that fans were confused about what to call him.

In 2005, Diddy sold half of his record company to the Warner Music Group. He hosted the MTV Video Music Awards and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2005 by Time magazine.

In 2006, Diddy released his first album in four years, called "Press Play." It featured many popular artists and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Some of the hit songs from the album were "Come to Me" and "Last Night."

In 2010, Diddy formed a group called Diddy – Dirty Money with singers Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper. They released an album called "Last Train to Paris," which included the songs "Angels," "Hello Good Morning," "Loving You No More," and "Coming Home."

In 2014, Diddy released a mixtape album called "MMM (Money Making Mitch)." He used his former stage name, Puff Daddy, for the album.

In 2017, Diddy announced that he would be going by the name Love, also known as Brother Love. He later said that he was joking, but in 2018, he decided to use the new name after all.

In 2023, Love released his fifth studio album, "The Love Album: Off the Grid." The album included the song "Another One of Me" with The Weeknd, French Montana, and 21 Savage.

Activism

In 2003, P. Diddy ran in the New York City Marathon to raise money for education in New York City. He raised $2 million! He finished the marathon in four hours and eighteen minutes.

He also encouraged people to vote in the 2004 presidential election with a campaign called "Vote or Die."

Business Ventures

Sean Combs is not just a musician; he's also a successful businessman. He has his own clothing line called Sean John, which was nominated for a fashion award in 2000 and won in 2004.

He also owned two restaurants called Justin's, named after his son. He has a major stake in Revolt TV, a television network.

Charity Work and Honors

Sean Combs has done a lot of charity work. He founded Daddy's House Social Programs to help inner-city youth. He has also donated money and clothing to victims of Hurricane Katrina and has donated computers and books to New York schools. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley named October 13, 2006, as "Diddy Day" in honor of Combs's charity work.

He received a Golden Plate Award in 1998 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.

In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate from Howard University, where he gave the commencement speech. He also donated $1 million to Howard University to establish a scholarship fund.

Personal life

Combs with his sons Christian and Justin at the Spider-Man 3 premiere, 2007

Combs's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Sean Combs is a father to seven children. His first son, Justin, was born in 1993. He had a long relationship with Kimberly Porter, who passed away in 2018. Together, they had a son, Christian, and twin daughters.

He also has a daughter named Chance, born to Sarah Chapman, and a daughter named Love, born to Dana Tran.

Discography

• No Way Out (1997)
• Forever (1999)
• The Saga Continues... (2001)
• Press Play (2006)
• Last Train to Paris with Dirty Money (2010)
• The Love Album: Off the Grid (2023)

Filmography

Film

Television

Documentary

Tours

• No Way Out Tour (1997–1998)
• Forever Tour (2000)
• The Heavyweights of Hip-Hop (with Snoop Dogg) (2007)
• Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour (2016)

Awards and nominations

Combs is listed as having a Guinness World Record for "Most Successful Rap Producer" in 1997, as he was producer of singles that charted for 36 consecutive weeks in 1997. In 2021, Combs was among the inaugural inductees into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. In June 2022, Combs received the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. In September 2023, Combs was awarded the key to New York City by Mayor Eric Adams.

He received an MTV VMA Global Icon Award in 2023.

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

See also

In Spanish: Sean Combs para niños