Discussion: Will Bad Boy Records Rise Again?
Diddy and camp covers the 15th anniversary “Juice” issue of Vibe magazine. The mega-producer and rapper is joined by newly signed artists Rick Ross, Janelle Monae, Cassie and his Dirty Money duo Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper.
The 40-year-old Grammy Award winning artist has gone through a series of make overs throughout his career and so has his 17-year-old record label. Media insiders and fellow artists alike alleges the hip hop superstar is experiencing a “mid-life crisis,” fighting with the might of ten wolves to remain relevant in an evolving music industry. 50 Cent may label Diddy a “b*tch,” but with every new teen generation in the past two decades, the musical giant sits at the center of discourse.
Bad Boy ruled the nineties with Death Row Records as its nemesis introducing multi-platinum artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Total, 112 and Carl Thomas, not to mention the loads of off-label artists whose sound and image he crafted. The flashy record producer help to usher in a brand of luxury lifestyle, designer labels, fast cars and gorgeous women in American urban culture. Moreover, the artist in his own way, encouraged a trend of sweeping Black entrepreneurship in the recording business– indirectly inspiring artists like Master P, Jay Z and 50 Cent to launch their own record labels.
Arguably after the tragic murder of The Notorious B.I.G in 1997, following the chart-topping release of ‘Life After Death,’ and the rise and fall of artists like Mase, The Lox, and Black Rob, Bad Boy records experienced a near dearth on the music scene. The stage lights dimmed on the talents that helped to shape the popular record label. It subsequently became more about the newly re-named P.Diddy, his solo career and his relationship with Jennifer Lopez.
The legend says the widely successful Harlem-born mogul has never given up on recapturing the game-changing artistry of the iconic Biggie by signing aspiring street artists like Shyne, and now today Diddy manages Rick Ross–an artist constantly compared to Biggie. Rumors of bad business, manipulation and artist exploitation began to accompany Diddy’s savvy and industry know-how.
In 2005, Bad Boy records experienced a resurgence with the debut of artists like Cassie and Young Joc. In 2006, Diddy re-popularized reality TV with his ‘Making the Band’ MTV series launching the careers of Danity Kane and Day 26.
But the most paramount trend we see in the life and times of Sean Combs, and his pioneering and at times, precarious record label, is the rumored ‘curse of the Bad Boy artist.’ Danity Kane like Total have danced into oblivion. And Day 26, like 112 and even Jodeci–a group mentored by Diddy are near jokes to urban listeners, and females fans no longer believe.
So as Diddy is seen on the cover of Vibe lauding in nearly 20 years of Bad Boy Entertainment–a sheer survivalist in ever-changing hip-hop, what is really the fate of the next generation of Diddy disciples?
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Diddy only makes about 20 percent of his income from the label so it doesn’t really matter one way or the other….but with artists like Janelle Monae and Rick Ross, I don’t think Bad Boy will be falling off anytime soon.
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Wow,that’s so cool,maybe everybody love the style.
I don’t know… As a whole I don’t think they are that strong of a team. Dirty Money sort of sucks and so does Diddy himself and Cassie. I’m just not a believer.
Who is dude behind Cassie? I don’t like how Janelle is all hidden.
They’re really giving her Lil Mama treatment. Really, why would you put teny tiny Janelle Monae behind Rick. Ross. ??? That was a side note, but that irked me too.
Anyways, the only reason why Bad Boy is still “relevant” is that Diddy does a great job at keeping himself relevant. Though his last major artist was…….Biggie? Lil’ Kim, pre op? Ma$e? Pretty much all his artist leave quite disgruntled. So far Janelle has been giving nothing but positive feedback about Diddy, but once he messes her over, I’m dining and dashing at Justin’s….frequently.
LMAO @ “I’m dining and dashing at Justin’s….frequently”…Girl I love me some Janelle Monae! I’d have to cut Diddy if he does my girl wrong!
And I agree…who is that dude behind Cassie…*puzzled look*
I know SOOOOOOO TYPICAL,,,
BLACK MEN ARE SO IN LOVE WITH THEMSELVES. A little too in love…
You would NEVER see that arrangement on a white cover.
White chicks are ALWAYS the focus, Always…
After some research, I found out the unknown dudes name is Red Cafe…never heard of him!
yeah…i don’t like Janelle Monae in the background either. this article mentioned Young Joc but where the hell IS Young Joc? Shyne? and i seriously contest the notion that Rick Ross is ANYTHING like Biggie. seriously? gtfoh with that bs. Diddy may know how to “discover” new talent but he also knows how to run said talent into the ground by mismanagement and jumping into the spotlight. i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again: he needs to stop being in every single song and video that is released by the artists on his label. he also needs to be more creative; the only reason why i would ever know a track is a Diddy track because there he is co-signing “take that, take that!” and some garbage about “crushed linens”.
dude, can you stop? will you stop? please?! stop remixing other peoples stuff and actually come up with a beat, a melody, a SOUND that someone can say is Diddy. Notorious Big, Faith, 112, Carl Thomas, even Lil’ Kim, The Lox, Lil’ Cease, were successful, not because of a Diddy beat/ad lib, but because they were talented. sorry for the rant, but he gets on my nerves and in my opinion the only one who would have had a chance is Janelle Monae, all those other artists on that Vibe cover, including Diddy, can kick rocks, real hard.
Yup. He’s always in every video, hyoping it up. Give the artist their own shine for once.
There were also other artists that could’ve had a longer music career on his label: like G-Dep, Black Rob and that girl group Dream (?) Babs & Ness never came out with their supposed album.
And the most recent; the break up of Danity Kane.
I miss the old Bad Boy. But I love Janelle.
totally agree. and when is diddy going to come out with an album of his own that doesn’t have guest appearances all over it?
Diddy will come back when Jheri curls and Starter Jackets become popular again….in other words NOPE!
I love Janelle Monae. I’ll support her but I dunno about the rest of Bad Boy.
LOL! I agree with those that dont like Janelle in the back. All we see is her head. She should have Dawn or Cassie’s spot.
Cassie seems outta place. And I dont think Dirty Money is gonna last.
I grew up with Bad Boy music. A lot of my favorite artists were signed to Bad Boy, but they all disappeared or left. I think the whole nightclub shootout, messed it up for him.
Janelle Monae and Rick are can revive it. Idk about Dirty Money??
Eeeeeeew!
Definitely should have highlighted Janelle’s pretty face in front of these two gross-looking dudes, instead of sticking her in the back like an afterthought, but oh em gee. Didn’t most idiots stop wearing grills, like, 2 years ago?
I bet a 3 hour episode of Where Are They Now? could be made of former Bad Boy artists since Diddy’s acts are not exactly known for longevity. He signs them to a sh!tty contract where he makes mad money off of them cutting 1 or 2 CDs (while they barely get by) then they disappear.
In my opinion, I think Diddy’s problem is that he is not a good multi-tasker.
I know Diddy likes to brag about all of his accomplishments, but I know he must’ve made plenty of sacrifices for those accomplishments.
He has his hands in every thing, but he tends to neglect things (for example, the artists on his label, parenthood, relationships, etc.). I remember reading/hearing an interview with Mary J. Blige and I remember Mary saying that Diddy (back when he was called Puffy) would focus so intently on other artists that she felt neglected, when it came to helping her make a sophmore album. And I also heard Faith Evans say the same thing (which was part of the reason why she left Bad Boy Records).
actually my attention goes straight to janelle…esp because she is in the middle as if she is their secret weapon
*nods head*
my eye went straight to her too.
Agreed. And she’s the only woman that is actually ON the cover and can be seen on the magazine stand. The rest are in the fold-out.
If Janelle was going to be on the front cover and not on the fold out part, then in sticking to the conventions of descriptive perspective, it makes sense that she would be in the back behind Diddy and Ross. Diddy is the star of the cover, not the others. That’s why, he’s in the front.Rick Ross has the #2 album in the US right now. This is Rick Ross’ fourth album. The other three were all #1′s on Billboard Top 200, and the only reason why Teflon Don didn’t debut at #1 is because Eminem’s new album just came out. He is one of a handful of rappers sustaining that kind of longetivity, the others being Em, Jay, Wayne, TI, Luda . . . So, If anyone should be getting their own solo cover of Vibe, it’s Rick.
Yes, I have my copy of the ArchAndroid, and I think Janelle’s schtick is very creative, and maybe over time her sales can match her buzz, but she needs to score some top 40 solo hits and maybe a hit guest feature or two before people start talking Vibe solo cover or asking why she’s in the back. Janelle is not Nicki Minaj who had racked up numerous hits through guest features and was all over the radio before she covered Vibe.
I like the placement of Janelle on the cover, for one she is not mainstream, nor is she trying to be.
TWO
She has a different kind of deal with Bad Boy, more of a distribution deal, with 100% free reign of creativity and control for WondaLand Arts Society and her own label if I am correct.
What a sham! nearly 20 yrs. and most of the artists are gone!
The fate of the next generation of Bad Boy artists will be the same as the previous generations. With the exception of Janelle Monae and Rick Ross, I don’t see the others lasting.
The problem with Bad Boy artists is Diddy. He’s not into this to cultivate his artists and elongate their careers, he’s all about making money now. He uses the artists and then drops them when he doesn’t need they anymore.
Janelle deserves her own cover because she has more talent all the rest of the people in this photo combined! That is all!
personally, no. diddy had pretty great people in the past and look what happened. yes, diddy recognized talent and potential but after it, he doesn’t know how to prolong it
hmmm… not music, rap and dance has changed so much. Did not know he was responsible for Cassie. Still trying to feel Rick Ross’ latest. I like Rick but this one hasnt grabbed me as of yet. We will see, I think it is possible for him to.
Diddy promotes the “Diddy” brand. I think he is great at what he does and has been successful for himself which is what artist that signed with Bad Boy don’t seen to understand. Diddy uses them to make further his career and not to build theirs. Look at the careers of all the aritst at Bad Boy. They make one album with Diddy but then are left by curb when it time for the second album because Diddy moved on the next thing to further his career. Either the current artist at Bad Boy are so desperate or were ill advised to sign with Bad Boy.
Yep. All of those artist were just props. Especially the groups from Making the Band, it was about him from the beginning. Hell, I don’t see how they couldn’t see that. Rick Ross and Janelle Monae can hold their own, everyone else will be added to the list of disgruntled artists.
The sad thing is, he has the eye for really talented artist ( save Cassie ). His roster was made up of a lot of stars or people who had the real potential to be superstars. People like Carl Thomas and Faith never really blew up to mainstream, but had banging albums. He only cares about his spotlight and will use whatever artist that is hot at the time to blow himself up. You know you are a bad President ( or whatever his title is…) when you don’t have one damn artist from 10 years ago. I know people are hungry for a deal, but folks need to really think twice when they sign with Bad Boy…
Janelle is likely the only one who has a chance since she isn’t exclusively on his label, and in part covered by her own. She’s the only one who will likely survive out of this bunch unless she has to deliver (x) amount of records. Rick Ross as well, though I’m surprised people haven’t caught on to his schtick yet…but apparently he’s got some number of albums left in the “glorifying a lifestyle you never lived” bit.
Nope its not going to happen. Diddy promotes himself. These artists aren’t going anywhere.