Possibly one of the most hated (on) figures in hip hop, Sean “Diddy” Combs has unveiled a new phase of his Bad Boy imprint this year and the public is definitely on board. While we can’t say their current standing is on par with the Golden Age of The Notorious B.I.G., 112, and Mase, the latest acts creating buzz have injected some much-needed flavor and life into the label.
In what can be called conscientious or calculated moves, Bad Boy has established partnerships with production outfits Block Entertainment and NextSelection, allowing Diddy himself to claim Dirty South representative Yung Joc and sexy pop diva Cassie, respectively. Add long-time signee Cheri Dennis to the mix, and you have the recipe for one hell of a comeback.
This, of course, comes on the heels of noticeable “everyday struggles” at Bad Boy.
right Hopping from Arista to Universal to Atlantic did nothing to signal stability at the label. Faith and 112 took flight. Mase was welcomed back, and after a cold reception combined his “Murda” and minister alters for a ballooning G-Unit. There was a public war of words between Diddy and The Lox over publishing. A severely under-promoted Black Rob Report fizzled while Bad Boy’s savior caught another case. G. Dep and Carl Thomas disappeared into thin air. All this plus more left us wondering why artists still bothered signing to Bad Boy.
One of the smartest moves was the creation of Bad Boy South to cash in on the gaining pop-acceptance of southern rap. Although 8-Ball & MJG’s “You Don’t Want Drama,” and Boyz ‘N Da Hood’s “Dem Boyz” are modest successes by Bad Boy standards, they were more readily accepted by urban radio than singles by Loon. Not to mention this was the same machine that helped propel Young Jeezy to certain stardom.
Diddy has been accused of “pimping the South”, but we cannot deny the heat that’s been generated by Bad Boy’s extended family. That’s some phoenix-like steez at work. How can we not be believers?
The man responsible for much of this heat is Yung Joc, whose New Joc City debuted last week. His #1 anthem, “It’s Goin’ Down,” has not only been jacked for Cam’ron’s latest Jigga diss, but it’s also helping Tom Cruise preserve his sexy with the 106th and Park crowd. Joc (born Jasiel Robinson) has no doubt added some Dirty South snap to Diddy’s legacy.
But just how much of this is Diddy’s doing?
The rise of enigmatic Cassie is nothing less than superior internet marketing at work. Searches for “Cassie” increased 109 percent according to Yahoo’s Buzz Log, her MySpace profile gets millions of hits, and “The Princess of NextSelection” has a blog that allows her to connect directly with her growing, web-savvy fanbase. In fact, it was that very page on MySpace (www.myspace.com/cassie... let's get her more hits, shall we?) that started it all. With Ryan Leslie at the helm, Cassie has cultivated a sound that is seductive and catchy, with a requisite hip hop swagger that harkens back to the days of Kima, Keisha and Pam.
At press time, Joc’s “It’s Going Down” and Cassie’s “Me & U” are #4 and #8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, respectively. It’s like ’97 all over again.
Perhaps Cheri Dennis is seeing a little shine now because she hung in there long enough. With a cameo appearance on Mase’s ill-conceived Double Up in 1999 and her own track on Bad Boy’s The Saga Continues in 2001, there’s been a lot of sitting and waiting on her part. The chaotically upbeat and experimental “Freak” featuring Da Band’s Babs circulated the internet in 2004 but failed to become an official single. Now via “I Love You”, Cheri’s album project is finally on track for release in July, although the release party happened back in April. But that’s neither here nor there. If handled correctly, Cheri Dennis can help fill the hip hop/soul void at the label.
Diddy’s method of “throw it to the wall and see if it sticks” is hopefully a thing of the past. Through Yung Joc, Cassie and Cheri, we can safely say he still has what it takes to create stars. With any luck, those hot Making the Band III kittens will do what Dream didn’t.
The Bad Boy hitmaking machine has been reinvigorated, and people like me are eating crow.
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Comments
1.
ashleigh says:
i love u so much and every thing about u lol:D:D and u guys rox my sox and i love it xoxox kisses much love 4 much vibe lol xD
May 16, 2007 at 9:49 pm
2.
Gilbert says:
You can say this has been Bad Boy's best year in sometime. Although, Bad Boy still has a lone ways to go. Before it reaches the status of the Biggie Smalls-era.
December 20, 2006 at 11:48 am