Editing Sean Combs (section)

==Career==
===1990–1996: Career beginnings===
Combs became an [[intern]] at New York's [[Uptown Records]] in 1990.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=23}}<ref name="YNUptown">{{Cite web |date=May 9, 2020 |title=Music boss who launched Sean Combs and Mary J Blige dies aged 59 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/music-boss-launched-sean-combs-155608486.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208085353/https://sports.yahoo.com/music-boss-launched-sean-combs-155608486.html |archive-date=December 8, 2021 |access-date=December 8, 2021 |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref> While working as a talent director at Uptown, under the guidance of label founder [[Andre Harrell]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=May 9, 2020 |title=Andre Harrell, Founder of Uptown Records, Dead at 59 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/andre-harrell-uptown-records-dead-obit-996655/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214173424/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/andre-harrell-uptown-records-dead-obit-996655/ |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |access-date=December 14, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> he helped develop [[Jodeci]] and [[Mary J. Blige]].<ref name="grabow.biz" /> In his college days, Combs had a reputation for throwing parties, some of which attracted up to a thousand participants.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=24}} [[Usher (musician)|Usher]], who lived with Combs for a year in New York City when he was 13 years old, told [[Howard Stern]] in 2016 that Combs's lifestyle was "pretty wild" during that time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://people.com/usher-saw-very-curious-things-when-he-lived-with-diddy-at-age-13-8621029|title=Usher Says He Saw 'Very Curious Things' When He Lived with Diddy for a Year at 13 in 2016 Interview with Howard Stern|first=Ilana|last=Kaplan|publisher=People|date=March 28, 2024|accessdate=March 28, 2024}}</ref> In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser with [[Heavy D]] held at the [[City College of New York]] (CCNY) gymnasium, following a charity basketball game. The event was oversold, and a [[City College stampede|stampede occurred in which nine people died]].{{sfn|Traugh|2010|pp=24–25}}

Shortly after being fired from Uptown in 1993, Combs established his own label [[Bad Boy Records]], which entered a joint venture deal with [[Arista Records]]. Combs brought Uptown signee Christopher Wallace (better known as [[the Notorious B.I.G.]]) along with him to the newly established label.<ref name="rollingstone" /><ref name="Black Profile" /> Both Wallace and [[Craig Mack]] began recording for the label and yielded mainstream recognition, leading to the former's debut album and the label's first major project, ''[[Ready to Die]]'' (1994).<ref name="rollingstone" /> Combs signed more acts to Bad Boy, including [[Carl Thomas (singer)|Carl Thomas]], [[Faith Evans]], [[112 (band)|112]], [[Total (band)|Total]],{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=49}} and [[Father MC]].<ref name="DJ Booth" /> The Hitmen, his in-house production team, worked with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, [[Usher (musician)|Usher]], [[Lil' Kim]], [[TLC (group)|TLC]], [[Mariah Carey]], [[Boyz II Men]], [[SWV]], [[Aretha Franklin]], and others.<ref name="iTunes" />

[[Mase]] and [[the Lox]] joined Bad Boy just as a widely publicized rivalry between the [[East Coast hip hop|East Coast]] and [[West Coast hip hop|West Coast]] hip hop scenes was beginning. Combs and Wallace were criticized and parodied by [[Death Row Records]] cohorts [[Tupac Shakur]] and [[Suge Knight]] in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|pp=52–53}} During 1994–1995, Combs produced several songs for TLC's ''[[CrazySexyCool]]'', which finished the decade as number 25 on Billboard's list of top pop albums of the decade.<ref name="Billboard 1999" />{{sfn|Harrison|2011|p=28}}

===1996–1998: "Puff Daddy" and ''No Way Out''===

In 1996, under the name Puff Daddy, Combs released his first commercial vocal work as a rapper.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Sound Decisions|magazine=[[Radio & Records]]|issue=1178|page=21|date=January 3, 1997}}</ref> His debut single, "[[Can't Nobody Hold Me Down]]", spent 28 weeks on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart, peaking at number one.<ref name="Hot 100 1997-03-22" /> His debut album, ''[[No Way Out (Puff Daddy album)|No Way Out]]'', was released on July 22, 1997,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coker |first=Cheo Hodari |date=July 22, 1997 |title=The Spotlight Turns on Puffy Combs: Dancing Close to the Flames |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-22-ca-14957-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528123803/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-22-ca-14957-story.html |archive-date=May 28, 2021 |access-date=May 28, 2021 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> through Bad Boy Records. Originally titled ''Hell up in Harlem'', the album underwent several changes after [[Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.|the Notorious B.I.G. was killed]] on March 9, 1997.<ref name="xxlmag 2007" /> Several of the label's artists made guest appearances on the album. ''No Way Out'' was a significant success, particularly in the United States, where it reached number one on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] in its first week of release, selling 561,000 copies.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=63}}

The album produced five singles: "[[I'll Be Missing You]]", a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., was the first rap song to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; it remained at the top of the chart for 11 consecutive weeks and topped several other charts worldwide.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=61}} Four other singles—"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "[[It's All About the Benjamins]]", "[[Been Around the World]]", and "[[Victory (Puff Daddy song)|Victory]]"—were also released. Combs collaborated with [[Jimmy Page]] on the song "[[Come with Me (Puff Daddy song)|Come with Me]]" for the 1998 film ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]''.<ref name="Come with Me" />

The album earned Combs five nominations at the [[40th Grammy Awards]] in 1998, and would go on to win the [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Album]].<ref name="Rock on the Net 1998" />{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=72}} On September 7, 2000, the album was certified septuple platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] for sales of over 7 million copies.<ref name="RIAA" /> By the late 1990s, he was being criticized for watering down and overly commercializing hip hop, and for relying excessively on guest appearances, [[Sampling (music)|samples]], and [[Interpolation (popular music)|interpolations]] of past hits.<ref name="Allmusic Bio" /> For example, in a 1997 review of ''No Way Out'' for ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', [[Havelock Nelson (writer)|Havelock Nelson]] commented: "...the over-reliance on huge swathes of undiluted samples is simply clumsy, lazy, and demeaning to the sources."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1997/Billboard-1997-08-16.pdf|title=Reviews & Previews, Albums, Rap|magazine=Billboard|date=August 16, 1997|page=61|volume=109|issue=33|access-date=August 19, 2024|via=World Radio History}}</ref> Also in 1997, [[Neil Strauss]] of ''The New York Times'' called Combs the "king of sampled hits".<ref name="Strauss sampling">{{cite web |last=Strauss |first=Neil | author-link = Neil Strauss |title=Sampling Is (a) Creative Or (b) Theft? |work=The New York Times|date=September 14, 1997 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/14/arts/pop-view-sampling-is-a-creative-or-b-theft.html|access-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20090414225616/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/14/arts/pop-view-sampling-is-a-creative-or-b-theft.html |archive-date=April 14, 2009 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription|page=AR-28}}</ref>

===1999–2000: ''Forever''===
[[File:P Diddy 2000.jpg|thumb|upright=.85|Combs at the 2000 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]
In April 1999, Combs was charged with assaulting [[Steve Stoute]] of [[Interscope Records]]. Stoute was the manager for [[Nas]], with whom Combs had filmed a video earlier that year for the song "[[Hate Me Now]]". Combs was concerned that the video, which featured a shot of Nas and Combs being crucified, was blasphemous.<ref name="Sinclair 1999">{{Cite magazine |last=Sinclair |first=Tom |date=April 30, 1999 |title=Rough Daddy |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/04/30/sean-combs-charged-assault/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123060602/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,273202,00.html |archive-date=November 23, 2012 |access-date=May 22, 2012 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> He asked for his scenes on the cross to be pulled, but after the video aired unedited on MTV on April 15, Combs visited Stoute's offices and injured Stoute.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wartofsky |first=Alona |date=April 17, 1999 |title='Puffy' Combs Arrested In Assault |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/04/17/puffy-combs-arrested-in-assault/a882ce92-67d1-40a7-bffa-e72e3c719621/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828022638/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/04/17/puffy-combs-arrested-in-assault/a882ce92-67d1-40a7-bffa-e72e3c719621/ |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=November 17, 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>

''[[Forever (Puff Daddy album)|Forever]]'', Combs's second solo studio album, was released by Bad Boy Records on August 24, 1999, in North America, and in the UK on the following day. It reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number one on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart,<ref name="Billboard: Forever" /> before being ousted the following week by Mary J. Blige's fourth album, ''[[Mary (Mary J. Blige album)|Mary]]''. The album received positive to mixed reviews from music critics and spawned three singles that have charted on the [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] charts. It peaked at number four on the [[Canadian Albums Chart]], Combs's highest-charting album in that country.<ref name="Billboard: Forever" />

===2001–2004: "P. Diddy" and ''The Saga Continues''===
Combs changed his stage name from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy" in 2001.<ref name="BBC News March 2001" /> The [[gospel music|gospel]] album ''Thank You'', which had been completed just before the beginning of the weapons trial, was due to be released in March that year, but remains unreleased {{as of|2023||lc=y}}.<ref name="AutoRQ-6" /> He appeared as a drug dealer in the film ''[[Made (2001 film)|Made]]'', and starred with [[Halle Berry]], [[Heath Ledger]], and [[Billy Bob Thornton]] in ''[[Monster's Ball]]'' (both in 2001).<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2019 |title=Sean "Diddy" Combs |url=https://www.biography.com/musician/sean-puffy-combs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406162044/https://www.biography.com/musician/sean-puffy-combs |archive-date=April 6, 2020 |access-date=March 31, 2020 |website=Biography}}</ref>

Combs began working with a series of atypical (for him) artists. For a short period of time, he was the manager of [[Kelis]]; they have a collaboration titled "Let's Get Ill".<ref name="Amazon Let's Get Ill" /> He was an opening act for [['N Sync]] on their Spring 2002 Celebrity Tour,<ref name="XXL 2011" /> and he signed California-based pop girl group [[Dream (American group)|Dream]] to his record label.<ref name="Hiatt 2001" /> Combs was a producer of the soundtrack album for the film ''[[Training Day]]'' (2001).<ref name="Billboard Training Day" />

In June 2001, Combs ended Bad Boy's distribution deal with Arista Records, gaining full control of the label, its catalogue, and its roster of artists.<ref name="Black Profile" /> ''[[The Saga Continues...]]'', released on July 10 in North America, was the last studio album released by the joint venture. The album reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts<ref name="Billboard The Saga Continues" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 19, 2001 |title=Alicia Keys Fends Off P. Diddy, D12 At No. 1 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/alicia-keys-fends-off-p-diddy-d12-at-no-1-79071/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214173425/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/alicia-keys-fends-off-p-diddy-d12-at-no-1-79071/ |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |access-date=December 14, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> and was eventually certified Platinum.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=49}} It is the only studio album under the P. Diddy name, and the first album by Sean Combs not to feature any guest appearances by Jay-Z or Lil' Kim. Combs was executive producer of the reality TV show, ''[[Making the Band]]'', which appeared on MTV from 2002 to 2009.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=84}}

The show involves interviewing candidates and creating musical acts that would then enter the music business. Acts who got their start this way include [[Da Band]],<ref name="Reid 2003" /> [[Danity Kane]],{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=84}} [[Day26]],<ref name="MTV Day 26"/> and [[Donnie Klang]].<ref name="MTV Donny Klang" /> In 2003, Combs ran in the [[New York City Marathon]], raising $2{{nbsp}}million for the educational system of the city of New York.<ref name="CBS News November 2003" /> On March 10, 2004, he appeared on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' to discuss the marathon, which he finished in four hours and eighteen minutes.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=89}} In 2004, Combs headed the campaign "[[Vote or Die]]" for the 2004 presidential election.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=85}} On February 1, 2004, Combs performed at the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show]].<ref name="The Washington Post February 2004" />

===2005–2009: "Diddy" and ''Press Play''===
[[File:ETalk2008-Diddy1.jpg|thumb|left|Combs performing in 2008 at the eTalk Festival Party]]
On August 16, 2005, Combs announced on ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today]]'' that he was altering his stage name yet again; he would be calling himself "Diddy". Combs said fans did not know how to address him, which led to confusion.<ref name="gnextinc August 2005" />

Combs starred in the 2005 film ''[[Carlito's Way: Rise to Power]]''. He played Walter Lee Younger in the 2004 Broadway revival of ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]''<ref name="Variety April 2004" /> and the [[A Raisin in the Sun (2008 film)|television adaptation]] that aired in February 2008. In 2005, Combs sold half of his record company to the [[Warner Music Group]].<ref name="NY Daily News April 2005" /> He hosted the 2005 [[MTV Video Music Award]]s and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2005 by ''[[Time Magazine|Time]]'' magazine.<ref name="Time April 2006" /> He was mentioned in the country song "[[Play Something Country]]" by [[Brooks & Dunn]]: the lyricist says he "didn't come to hear P. Diddy", which is rhymed with "something thumpin' from the city".<ref name="Cowboy Lyrics 15929" />

In 2006, when Combs refused to release rapper [[Mase]] from his contractual obligations with Bad Boy to allow him to join the group [[G-Unit]], [[50 Cent]] recorded a [[Diss (music)|diss]] song, "Hip-Hop". The lyrics imply that Combs knew the identity of [[the Notorious B.I.G.]]'s murderer.<ref name="MTV September 2006" /> The two resolved the feud, but it resurfaced in later years.<ref name="AllHipHop September 2006" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Conor |title=50 Cent Slams Sean 'Diddy' Combs Again—'We Can't Un See What We Saw'—As Feud Continues |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/03/27/50-cent-says-diddy-done-after-feds-raid-sean-combs-homes-but-their-beef-has-lasted-decades/ |access-date=July 29, 2024 |website=Forbes}}</ref>

Combs released his first album in four years, ''[[Press Play (album)|Press Play]]'', on October 17, 2006, on the Bad Boy Records label.<ref name="Billboard October 2006" /> The album, featuring guest appearances by many popular artists, debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=96}} with sales of over 173,009. Its singles "[[Come to Me (Diddy song)|Come to Me]]" and "[[Last Night (Diddy song)|Last Night]]" both reached the top ten of the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="Billboard Come To Me" /><ref name="Billboard Last Night" /> The album became available to preview on MTV's ''The Leak'' on October 10, 2006, a week before being sold in stores.<ref name="MTV Press Play" /> ''Press Play'' received mixed to positive reviews from critics,<ref name="MetaCritic Press Play reviews" /> and was certified Gold on the RIAA ratings.{{sfn|Traugh|2010|p=49}} On September 18, 2007, Combs teamed up with [[50 Cent]] and [[Jay-Z]] for the "[[Forbes]] I Get Money Billion Dollar Remix".<ref name="Hip Hop 2007" />

[[File:Sean "Puffy Daddy P Diddy" Combs.jpg|thumb|upright|Combs at the [[60th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 2008]]
In June 2008, Combs's representative denied rumors of another name change.<ref name="nonamechange" /> Combs ventured into reality television in August 2008 with the premiere of his [[VH1]] series ''[[I Want to Work for Diddy]]''.<ref name="vh1.com" /> He appeared—credited under his real name—in two episodes of Season 7 of ''[[CSI: Miami]]'': "Presumed Guilty" and "Sink or Swim", in the role of lawyer Derek Powell.<ref name="IMDb" />

===2010–2013: Diddy – Dirty Money and acting===
[[File:Sean P. Diddy 2013.jpg|thumb|upright|Combs at the 2013 [[Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity|Cannes Lions Festival]]]]
Combs created a rap supergroup in 2010 known as the Dream Team. The group consists of Combs, [[Rick Ross]], [[DJ Khaled]], [[Fat Joe]], [[Busta Rhymes]], [[Red Café]], and [[Fabolous]].<ref name="mtv Busta Rhymes" /> Combs made an appearance at comedian [[Chris Gethard]]'s live show in January 2010 at the [[Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre]] in New York City.<ref name="Twitter December 2009" /> In June 2010, Combs played a role, credited as Sean Combs, in the comedy film ''[[Get Him to the Greek]]'', as Sergio Roma, a record company executive. An ''[[Entourage (American TV series)|Entourage]]'' series representative announced that Combs would guest star on an episode during the 2010 season.<ref name="TV Guide June 2010" />
Recruiting singers [[Dawn Richard]] and [[Kalenna Harper]], Combs formed the female duo [[Diddy – Dirty Money]] in 2009. The trio's first and only album, ''[[Last Train to Paris]]'', was released by [[Interscope Records]] on December 13, 2010. The release was preceded by four singles: "[[Angels (Diddy song)|Angels]]", "[[Hello Good Morning]]", "[[Loving You No More]]", and "[[Coming Home (Diddy – Dirty Money song)|Coming Home]]", each saw mixed success on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], although the latter peaked at number 11 on the U.S. Hot 100, number four in the UK, and number seven in Canada.<ref name="Allmusic Coming Home" /> Combs produced the group, and often performed with them. On March 10, 2011, Diddy and Dirty Money performed "Coming Home" live on ''American Idol''.<ref name="MTV March 2011" />

On April 18, 2011, Combs appeared in [[Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series, season 1)|season one]] of ''[[Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series)|Hawaii Five-0]]'', guest starring as an undercover [[New York Police Department|NYPD]] detective.<ref name="Okita 2011" /> In November 2012, Combs appeared in an episode of the [[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season 8)|eighth season]] of the American sitcom ''[[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]]''.<ref name="Couch 2012" />

===2014–2017: ''MMM'' and Bad Boy Anniversaries===
On February 26, 2014, Combs premiered "Big Homie", featuring Rick Ross and [[French Montana]], as the first single from his mixtape ''[[MMM (Money Making Mitch)]]'', which was originally scheduled to be released that year.<ref name="Ortiz 2014" /> The song was released for digital download on March 24,<ref name="iTunes March 2014" /> and two days later the trailer for the music video was released. The full version of the music video was released on March 31. Combs used his former stage name Puff Daddy for the album.<ref name="XXL March 25, 2014" /> ''MMM'' was released as a free mixtape album of 12 tracks on November 4, 2015.<ref name="Reed November 2015" /> In July 2014, Combs and Israeli record producer [[Guy Gerber]] released the collaborative album ''11:11'' as a [[digital distribution|free download]].<ref name="Guy Gerber &amp; Puff Daddy Present"/> On June 29, 2015, Combs released the single "[[Finna Get Loose]]", which featured vocals and production by [[Pharrell Williams]].<ref name="Reed June 2015" />

In July 2015, Bad Boy Entertainment signee [[Gizzle]] told the press that she was collaborating with Combs on the ultimately-cancelled album ''No Way Out 2'', a sequel to his 1997 debut. She describes the music as unique: "The mindset is to just be classic and to be epic. And to really live up to that{{nbsp}}... we know it's a tall order, but we welcome the challenge."<ref name="AutoRQ-7" /> In April 2016, Combs announced that after this album and its accompanying tour, he planned to retire from the music industry to focus on acting.<ref name="Rayne 2016" />

On May 20, 2016, Combs launched a tour of Bad Boy Records' biggest names to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the label.<ref name="AutoRQ-8" /> The documentary ''Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story'', covering the two shows at the [[Barclays Center]] in Brooklyn as well as behind-the-scenes events, was released on June 23, 2017.<ref name="AutoRQ-9" /> The show toured to an additional twenty venues across the United States and Canada.<ref name="AutoRQ-10" /><ref name="AutoRQ-11" />

===2018–2024: "Love" and ''The Love Album: Off the Grid''===
[[File:Justice on the beat & Diddy (cropped).jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|Combs in October 2019]]
On November 5, 2017, Combs announced that he would be going by the name Love, stating, "My new name is Love, aka Brother Love."<ref name="AutoRQ-12" /> Two days later, he told the press he had been joking, but on January 3, 2018, he announced on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'' that he had changed his mind again, and will be using the new name after all.<ref name="AutoRQ-13" /> The change became official in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Massabrook |first=Nicole |date=May 18, 2022 |title=Every Name Diddy Has Gone by Over the Years |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/diddys-different-names-through-the-years-puffy-and-more/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523044822/https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/diddys-different-names-through-the-years-puffy-and-more/ |archive-date=May 23, 2022 |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=Us Weekly}}</ref>

In 2019, Combs announced on Twitter that ''Making the Band'' would return to [[MTV]] in 2020. Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it failed to do so; it was delayed once more for a release in 2021 before its complete cancellation.<ref name="AutoRQ-14" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2020/03/11/final-making-the-band-auditions-canceled-due-to-coronavirus/|title= 'Making the Band' Final Live Auditions Canceled!!! MTV Takes Coronavirus Precautions |date=March 11, 2020|website=TMZ.com}}</ref> Combs executive-produced Nigerian singer [[Burna Boy]]'s album, ''[[Twice as Tall]]'', which was released on August 14, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Findlay |first=Mitch |date=August 6, 2020 |title=Burna Boy's New Album Is Executive Produced By Diddy |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/burna-boys-new-album-is-executive-produced-by-diddy-news.115577.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806161346/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/burna-boys-new-album-is-executive-produced-by-diddy-news.115577.html |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |access-date=August 10, 2020 |website=HotNewHipHop}}</ref>

Combs hosted the [[2022 Billboard Music Awards|2022 ''Billboard'' Music Awards]]. In May of that year, he announced the startup of a new record label, Love Records as part of a recording contract with [[Motown]]. Along with Combs himself, the label's inaugural artist was singer [[Jozzy]], who signed to the label that same month.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aol.com/diddy-announces-jozzy-first-artist-031126931.html|title=Diddy Announces Jozzy as First Artist Signed to Love Records: 'She Reminds Me of R&B Biggie'|website=Aol.com|date=May 2023|access-date=March 28, 2024|archive-date=March 28, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328205133/https://www.aol.com/diddy-announces-jozzy-first-artist-031126931.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=May 10, 2022 |title=Sean 'Diddy' Combs Launches New R&B Label, Love Records |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/sean-diddy-combs-love-records-motown-123526267 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |website=Variety}}</ref> The following June, he released the single "[[Gotta Move On (Diddy song)|Gotta Move On]]", which features singer [[Bryson Tiller]] and marked his first entry—at number 79—on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 since "Coming Home". It was promoted as the lead single for the album, although it was only included on its expanded edition. On August 22, 2023, Combs released a teaser trailer on social media for his fifth studio album, ''[[The Love Album: Off the Grid]]'', which was released on September 15, 2023.

Coinciding with its release was the lead single "[[Another One of Me]]" (with [[the Weeknd]], [[French Montana]] and [[21 Savage]]). The song peaked at number 87 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while the album peaked at number 19 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. Critical responses to both the song and album were mixed to average.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |date=August 22, 2023 |title=Diddy Announces First Solo Album In 17 Years With Dramatic Trailer Featuring Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, & More |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2233903/diddy-announces-first-solo-album-in-17-years-with-dramatic-trailer-featuring-justin-bieber-the-weeknd-more/news/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822204528/https://www.stereogum.com/2233903/diddy-announces-first-solo-album-in-17-years-with-dramatic-trailer-featuring-justin-bieber-the-weeknd-more/news/ |archive-date=August 22, 2023 |access-date=August 22, 2023 |website=Sterogum}}</ref> Despite Combs's signing with Motown, the album was released independently, with the label's name only present on promotional materials. During an interview with ''Billboard'', Combs stated that: {{Blockquote|[I]'m in a season of total independence. I had an experience with Motown where it was like, 'I've come too far to ask somebody that isn't where I'm from about cultural and artistic things. If I'm going to bet on anybody, I'm going to bet on the people I believe in.' So I decided to go independent with Love Records and Bad Boy. I decided to come back into the game with bolder ideas of ownership, distribution and future manufacturing because those are the things that we as a people are cut out of.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/features/sean-diddy-combs-love-album-cover-story-1235411304/|title=Rebirth of a Bad Boy: Diddy Explains Handing Over Publishing Rights & Reveals His 'Total Truth'|website=Billboard.com|date=September 13, 2023}}</ref>}}

''The Love Album: Off the Grid'' received a nomination for [[Best Progressive R&B Album]] at the [[66th Annual Grammy Awards]], which commenced on February 4, 2024; Combs did not attend the ceremony, due to sexual misconduct allegations levied against him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/diddys-grammy-moment-allegations-1235783247/|title=Diddy, Nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album, Will Not Attend 2024 Grammys (Exclusive)|website=HollywoodReporter.com|date=January 12, 2024}}</ref>