By David Jordan Jr
Can’t Stop…Won’t Stop… Words that forever resonate with one man, one label. Bad Boy Records. Puff Daddy. Puffy. P. Diddy. Diddy. Sean “Puffy” Combs. Bad Boy Records has blessed the world with a one of a kind sound, one of a kind artists and a timeless catalog of hits. May 20, 2016 marked the beginning of the “Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour” and the opportunity for the world to once again be blessed with the classic hits that made you feel good and STILL make you dance. Before the start of something big, there’s usually a humble or meek beginning that sets the platform for something amazing to spring forth. Sean Combs ( to be known as Puff Daddy) was fired from Uptown Records in 1993 by Andre Harrell and it was this setback that allowed for the ultimate comeback. Founding Bad Boy Records soon after, Combs set into motion one of the most successful and most influential hip hop labels in music history. To have a complete understanding of Bad Boy Records and it’s uniqueness, one has to have an understanding of the type of person Puffy is and was at that specific point in time. Going against the grain, doing things differently, yet making it all happen with a unique style is Puffy, which is Bad Boy. They set traditions of how to make music, how to market artists and to make a label larger than music, which was all apart of the ultimate vision for Puffy. These dreams were able to become a reality not solely because of Puffy, but because of the team that came together to make Bad Boy Records. The artists, the producers and the city of New York provided the consistent foundation for Bad Boy to grow to the label which it eventually became. From hip hop culture, to mainstream culture, to fashion, to reality television, Bad Boy Records has cemented it’s place in the world with its contribution of artists (as well as introductions to new artists) producers and trends. The reunion tour gives everybody that witnessed the historic rise of Bad Boy Records and time to dance again like it’s 1996 and for those that are being introduced to the hits the opportunity learn how to dance like Puffy. Let’s take a journey through Bad Boy Records in the early years and 20 (so hard to minimize the hits to 20) great singles from the label:
Biggie in a commercial for “St. Ides” Malt Liquor
20 CLASSIC BAD BOY TRACKS
