As Diddy searches for the next generation of hot musicians and singers in his new TV show “Making His Band,” we shout out the mogul’s long list of protégés.
Diddy puts the squeeze on The Queen of Hip-hop Soul, who was first brought to him by Al B. Sure at Uptown Records, after the Mt. Vernon, New York, singer met her on the No. 7 bus in the Bronx headed to Yonkers.
Choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson on Diddy, dancing and dedication »
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Jodeci was one of the first acts to be blessed by Diddy’s Midas Touch. As an A&R intern at Uptown Records, a young Puff Daddy helped craft Jodeci’s sound and image, making them one of the top-selling debut R&B groups of the nineties.
Choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson on Diddy, dancing and dedication »
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The late Brooklyn-bred rapper Christopher “Big” Wallace met Diddy through a mutual friend and was the first lyricist signed to his Bad Boy label. In 2009, his biopic, “Notorious,” which chronicled the life of the slain MC, enjoyed a successful opening at the box office.
Choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson on Diddy, dancing and dedication »
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During the height of Bad Boy’s reign, Mason “Ma$e” Betha served as Puffy’s right-hand man, doling out slick, witty lines over glossy tracks. “Bad, bad, bad, bad boy, you make me feel so goooood.”
Choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson on Diddy, dancing and dedication »
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The ex-wife and mother of the late B.I.G.’s only son (who also costarred in “Notorious” as a young Christopher Wallace) served as a vocal coach and writer for Bad Boy before releasing her debut.
Choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson on Diddy, dancing and dedication »
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This bad girl trio brought the crazy, sexy and cool to Diddy’s musical flagship.
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Rapper Craig Mack delivered the flavor in all of their ears.
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Diddy’s influence was felt on Kim’s debut album “Hardcore,” as the rapper assisted the Queen Bee with a few bars on her lead single “No Time.”
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Gripes of shiny suits and shady deals aside, The L.O.X.—Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch—got their start on Bad Boy, kicking street-ready rhymes over Diddy’s sample-heavy tracks.
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Diddy met this handsome quartet at the Atlanta-based club 112, when the soon-to-be high school grads, although underage, gained access to the party and did an impromptu audition for Diddy.
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With a nice flow and a voice and delivery that was eerily reminiscent of the late Notorious B.I.G., Shyne joined the Bad Boy family in an obvious bid to fill Biggie’s shoes.
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Where Mase left off, Loon picked up, with sugary bars designed to cater to the ladies.
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We were all there when Diddy created Danity Kane, which we saw on his hit reality show Making the Band. Despite the group’s success — a few hits and the first female group in Billboard history to debut two albums at the top of the charts — tension in the group eventually tore them apart. After Diddy kicked Aubrey O’Day and D. Woods out of the group, things fizzled and the group fell apart.
Gina Thompson’s sultry voice amid Missy Elliott’s formidable delivery has made her anthem, “The Things That You Do,” a Bad Boy classic.
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Say what you will about Cassie, but this Connecticut native impressed Diddy with her light-as-a-feather voice and around-the-way-girl style. As rumors of her and Diddy’s romance persist, Cassie is prepping her sophomore album.
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This southern rapper had the whole world bouncing and revving it up to his party anthem.
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Thanks to Black Rob, no one could stop using the catch phrase to describe any and everything of shock value, “Like Whoa!”
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He might have been a one-hit wonder (“Special Delivery”), but over a hypnotic beat we became obsessed with his unique and special flow.
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Her sassy attitude, asymetric bob and flirty dance step made her song and vibe infectious.
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Young Jeezy, left, is part of the rapping foursome who kicked the Bad Boy southern swag up a notch.
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A product of Diddy’s MTV reality, “Making the Band 4,” this harmonizing quintet made it through the storm to become true balladeers.
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