Dr. Dre and Diddy are perhaps two of the biggest juggernauts in Hip-Hop history. Both have contributed immensely to the genre and the culture with their stellar production skills and genius for crafting and maneuvering a hit song. Both have also released pivotal albums and singles that have been a mainstay. Furthermore, their gifts surpass the music world, as both have highly successful business ventures. But historically, Dr. Dre and Diddy have not seen eye to eye. Finally, things got to the point where the West Coast CEO accused the New York CEO of ruining the culture.
Dr. Dre Came Onto The Scene 1987
Compton, California-born Andre Romelle Young started as a DJ in the 1980s. He soon joined the West Coast-based electro collective World Class Wreckin’ Cru. The group also consisted of rapper DJ Yella, with some songs featuring Dre’s then-girlfriend, Miche’le. But Dr. Dre’s life took a meteoric turn after joining late rapper Eazy-E to form the controversial rap group, N.W.A. Soon to join would be Ice Cube, producer Arabian Prince, MC Ren, and former World Class Wreckin’ Cru member D.J. Yella.
Through controversial lyrics that glorified the gangster rap lifestyle, N.W.A. withstood extraordinary criticisms to become one of the most influential Hip-Hop acts of all time. The group released two studio albums and a plethora of compilations. Together, they have amassed millions of records sold.However, not even the overall success could keep the group together. Eventually, Dr. Dre became the flagship artist of Suge Knight’s newly founded Death Row Records in 1991. The Chronic, Dre’s debut album under the label, was released in 1992. It would go on to be labeled as a staple in Hip-Hop history, often labeled as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Dr. Dre’s production credits are for the history books as well. For example, he’s produced massive hits for artists like Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 2Pac, Eminem, and more. He’s also been credited for discovering many of today’s most prominent artists.Following his departure from Death Row, Dr. Dre founded Aftermath Entertainment in 1996. With distribution from Interscope Records, the label housed acts like Eminem, 50 Cent, Truth Hurts, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar, to name a few.
Puff Daddy Founded Bad Boy Records In 1997
Meanwhile, New York City-born Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs started as an intern for Uptown Records. While speaking with Tim Westwood, he recalled hounding both Uptown and Def Jam on the daily in an attempt to secure an internship. Ever in hustle mode, Puff was known to leave Howard University amid studies to travel back and forth to New York to fulfill his duties. Through Uptown, Puff Daddy worked extensively with Mary J. Blige and others. His hard work eventually landed him the role of Vice President, allowing him to become one of the youngest in history to do so. But after being let go from the label, Combs was motivated to create what would become the iconic Bad Boy Entertainment.
Bad Boy Records Became One Of The Top Labels In the World
Craig Mack became Combs’s flagship artist. But Bad Boy Entertainment would introduce the world to artists such as Faith Evans, Ma$e, The Lox, and The Notorious B.I.G., to name a few. Puff Daddy secured a label deal with Clive Davis and Arista Records for distribution, and the hits began to pour out.
Bad Boy Entertainment became known for its hard-hitting records that were sure to make you dance. Puff was consistent in seeing the top of the charts, and soon enough, Bad Boy became one of the world’s top record labels.Puff also released albums for the label as an artist and later in the short-lived group DiddyDirtyMoney. His debut album, No Way Out, is his biggest seller. Puff Daddy was also highly successful as a producer. From acts like Jodeci to TLC to Mariah Carey and perhaps all Bad Boy artists, he contributed to some stellar recordings in music’s history.
Some Of Biggie’s Biggest Songs Are Samples
The label was known for its sampling throughout Bad Boy Records’ history. Much of the songs released by artists contained iconic samples from past records. For instance, The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” had replayed elements of the Mtume hit “Juicy Fruit.” His follow-up single “Big Poppa” sampled “Between the Sheets” from The Isley Brothers. Another one of Biggie Smalls’s significant hits, “One More Chance (Stay With Me Remix),” sampled Debarge’s 1983 hit “Stay With Me.” And the infectious “Hypnotize” used elements of Herb Alpert’s classic record, “Rise.” Biggie wasn’t the only Bad Boy artist to use samples on their records. Faith Evans’s “Love Like This” sampled Chic’s “Chic Cheer.” Ma$e’s “Feel So Good” is reminiscent of Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging.”
Puff Daddy Sampled The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ For I’ll Be Missing You.
One of the biggest hits to come out of Bad Boy Records was the 1997 tribute single to The Notorious B.I.G. “I’ll Be Missing You,” by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112, was a massive hit single that remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 weeks and hitting the top of charts in multiple countries. “I’ll Be Missing You” famously utilized the guitar loop from “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. In addition, Faith Evans also sang the original song’s melodies for the chorus of the Puff Daddy song.
But perhaps Puff was too hasty in releasing the song without the group’s permission. Because of this and copyright laws, Sting came to collect royalties, and a judge granted that he receives 100% of all the song’s earnings. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Sting claims around $2,000 in royalties from that song alone.
Dr. Dre Once Called Diddy Out For Using Too Many Samples
With Diddy and his Bad Boy roster relentlessly taking over the airwaves, some folks didn’t take kindly to that. One such person was Dr. Dre, who issued in 1999 that Diddy had “hurt the art form.” Dr. Dre said in an interview with Newsweek that he felt Hip-Hop sounded like “one big sample.” He added, “That’s an insult to all of us who’ve been here from the beginning.” However, Dr. Dre also expressed his respect for Diddy’s business acumen.
