Embedded Files
Bad Boy Records, also known as Bad Boy Entertainment, is an American record label founded in 1993 by rapper Sean “Puffy” Combs1. The label was born out of Combs’ termination from his position as an A&R executive at Uptown Records1.
The label’s first release was “Flava in Ya Ear” by Craig Mack, followed quickly by Mack’s debut album, Project Funk da World in 19941. The same year, the label released “Juicy” and Ready to Die, the lead single and debut album from the Notorious B.I.G1. While Mack’s album achieved Gold status, Ready to Die achieved multi-platinum success1.
In the late 1990s, Bad Boy Records signed numerous artists including the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, 112, Total, the Lox, Mase, Craig Mack, Shyne, and Carl Thomas1. The label continued its success with platinum releases by Total and Faith Evans in 19951.
However, the rapid success of the Notorious B.I.G., and Bad Boy as a company, raised some tensions, especially with the Beverly Hills, California-based Death Row Records1. This led to a feud that escalated with the release of 2Pac’s “Hit 'Em Up”, which smeared Bad Boy1.
In the 2000s, the label signed French Montana, Machine Gun Kelly, Janelle Monáe, and Cassie, among others1. At its peak, Bad Boy was worth a reported US$100 million1. In 2023, Combs created a successor label, Love Records, to independently release his fifth studio album, The Love Album: Off the Grid1.
Page updated
Report abuse