With all that Sean “Diddy” Combs does, it may be hard to remember that he’s also a recording artist.
That might be because his last album, “Press Play,” was released 13 years ago, and the last single he dropped was 2017’s “Watcha Gon’ Do?” featuring vocals from Rick Ross and the late Notorious B.I.G.
And when it comes to releasing music in the future, Combs said it might not happen because he considers himself practically retired. It’s something he told DJ Khaled, who interviewed him for Rolling Stone.
In fact, the Bad Boy founder said he isn’t sure where he fits in today’s musical landscape, and as an executive he’s not eager to sign anyone these days.
“To be honest, I’ve been in semi-retirement,” explained Combs. “If you don’t see my name on all the Top 10 records, that means I’m not making music. I’m bringing ‘Making the Band’ back in 2020. I’m contemplating, ‘Is there a role for me in music now?’ I just know that for me, I would only be able to sign legends.”
“To be honest, my decisions will be made through God,” he added. “I’m at another frequency and level of music. It would have to be something that God fully put in my heart, like when I heard Biggie or I heard Mary [J. Blige].”
In 2016 Combs signed his son Christian Combs to his Bad Boy record label. The rapper, who goes by the name King Combs, released his first single in 2017 and then dropped his mixtape “’90s Baby” in 2018. And in March of this year, the 21-year-old released his debut album, “Cyncerely, C3,”
So far, he hasn’t matched his father’s success or even that of many Bad Boy artists, and Combs said he’s brutally honest with his children about their music pursuits.
“I give it to [my kids] simple and plain,” he stated. “There’s two things: One, it’s all about the hit. That’s all that matters. On top of that, when you making the hit, you gotta realize only the song survives. I’m gonna be here forever. If you will follow in my footsteps, you gotta follow in forever footsteps.”
“When it’s 500 years from now, they still gonna be playing ‘It’s All About the Benjamins,’ ‘Hypnotize,’ ‘Mo Money Mo Problems,’ ‘I Need a Girl,’ Mary J. Blige’s ‘Be Happy,'” added Combs. “That’s the intention I went into it with.”
