BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) THE MAN OF MANY NAMES
When he broke out he was “Puff Daddy”. Then he upped and changed his name to “P. Diddy” for awhile. And then in 2005 he settled with just “Diddy”. Meanwhile, he has a perfectly good name in “Sean Combs” sitting on a birth certificate somewhere. I get it. In hip hop it’s common to change a name, but the names he’s gone with are pretty lame. Once he started using Sean Combs, or at least Sean “Diddy” Combs it was like adults instantly started taking him a smidge more credible. It doesn’t really matter though. His brand is more than his name. Whatever he goes by, his presence is strong enough for him to be acknowledged just about anywhere.
(THREE) DIDDY DAY
In 2006 Richard Daley, mayor of Chicago, gave Mr. Combs the key to the city and cufflinks to commemorate the occasion. So from now on, on October 13th we shall celebrate “Diddy Day”.
(TWO) ACTOR
You probably know this, but Combs isn’t given the credit for the efforts and extremes he’s gone to improve his acting craft. His first appearance in a movie was in the independent flick called “Made”. You’d be surprised it was his first time, but it was a role that was probably easy for him to get into. He then had a small, but crucial part in “Monster’s Ball” and then an even bigger part in “Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power”. For the movie “Raisin in the Sun”, I remember critics starting to take notice in his efforts. I could be wrong, but I recall hearing something crazy like he had a set built on his own so he could rehearse his lines over and over again. In the recent comedy “Get Him to the Greek”, he had a role as a record producer. It was funny and well done, but again like “Made” a little too close to home. The thing is that he’s so charismatic and thriving to succeed that it’s kind of scary what’s going to happen once he lands the right role at the right time.
(ONE) MOGUL
In 2002, Fortune magazine listed him on their “40 Richest People Under 40” list and was named the richest man in hip hop. A 2006 estimate tagged him as being worth $346 million. This didn’t all come from hip hop music. It’s from him being one of the best modern businessmen out there. He has a fashion line, a restaurant chain, booze, and more. He has dabbled in many markets and projects and comes out richer and more successful with each endeavor.
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