Southern Plug Magazine: Leaders of the New School 2017 Volume 2 Issue 1 A | Page 92

Sean "Puffy" Combs began branching out with Bad Boy during 1995, adding
platinum R&B acts Faith Evans and Total (both of whom were connected to
B.I.G., Evans as his wife and Total as his former backing vocal group) plus
another platinum seller, 112, in 1996. He also produced for many outside
artists (including Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, TLC, SWV, and Lil'
Kim) and added two straight-ahead hip-hop acts, Mase and the LOX. By that
time, however, Combs and B.I.G. were embroiled in a feud with Death Row
Records' head, Suge Knight, and star, Tupac Shakur. Shakur accused Combs of
involvement in his 1994 shooting, mocked B.I.G. by saying he had slept with
Faith Evans, and threatened the two in the lyrics to his hit song "Hit 'Em Up."
(The video for the track featured two characters, P.I.G. and Buffy, who are
humiliated in various ways.) In September 1996, however, Shakur was shot
and killed by unknown assailants; just six months later, in March of 1997,
B.I.G. himself was killed in the same fashion. Just three weeks later, his second
album debuted at number one and was eventually certified six times
platinum. The single "Hypnotize" also hit number one and stayed on the
charts for months after B.I.G. was killed. Though Combs had been preparing
his own solo debut, under the name Puff Daddy, he quit working for several
months out of grief for his longtime friend. When he returned in mid-1997, it
was with a vengeance, as the single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" held the
top spot on the singles charts for almost two months. Following quickly
behind was another monster number one hit, "I'll Be Missing You," a tender
tribute to B.I.G. with Evans providing background vocals. Combs' subsequent
LP as Puff Daddy, No Way Out, shot straight to number one and was certified
platinum several times over; in 1998 it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap
Album and "I'll Be Missing You" won the a