''Rocketboom''.
'''Sean John Combs''' (born November 4, 1969
[According to a http://www.courttv.com/trials/puffy/docs/duty-caps_3.html 1999 arrest record.]) is an American record producer, actor, singer, and rapper.
As of August 2006, his nickname and recording name is '''Diddy''' (adopted in August 2005); previously, he has been known as '''Puff Daddy''', '''P. Diddy''' and '''Puffy''' (of which he had legal issues with Japanese band Puffy AmiYumi).
He presides over a media empire that includes the record label Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and Sean by Sean Combs, a movie production company, and a restaurant chain. He has taken the roles of recording executive, producer of reality TV (such as MTV's 'Making the Band'), writer, arranger, clothing designer, actor,
As the founder and CEO of Bad Boy, one of the driving forces in moving hip hop music mainstream, which resulted in his becoming one of the wealthiest people in the entertainment industry, Combs first gained fame as a label executive, first for Uptown Records and later for his own label, signing and developing acts such as Father MC, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Craig Mack, Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, 112, Ma$e, Boyz N Da Hood, Dream and Carl Thomas. The label rose to prominence in 1994 with the release of B.I.G.'s ''Ready to Die'', and would continue its success into the late 1990's, although Biggie's death and the departure of several artists from the label have made it significantly less prominent. Recently, Sean and his girlfriend, Kim Porter, have revealed that Kim is pregnant with twins.
Biography
Early years
Born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA to Melvin and Janice Combs, Combs grew up in the suburb of Mount Vernon. When he was two, his father Melvin, a Muslim, was murdered in a Manhattan park following a party he attended. After completing his private secondary education at Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, Combs attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. before becoming an intern at Uptown Records. Only a few months later, Combs was an A&R executive and helped produce ''Father's Day'' (Father MC; 1990), ''
What's the 411?'' (Mary J. Blige; 1992), and ''Blue Funk'' (Heavy D & the Boyz; 1992). In 1993 he began developing plans for his own label, leading to his dismissal from Uptown. Combs then created Bad Boy Records and soon signed Craig Mack and the Notorious B.I.G.
Establishing Bad Boy
With the help of Russell Simmons, he tried to sign Tupac Shakur to jump start the label. Tupac refused. Both Mack and Biggie quickly released hit singles, followed by similarly successful LPs, particularly B.I.G.'s ''Ready to Die''. Puff Daddy, as he was
