Sean Combs brings ‘MMM’ back for another ride
‘Bad Boy’ mogul also prepares for his last album
Money Ain’t A Problem for rap impresario Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, and he proved it with the November release of his self-declared “sonic motion picture,” MMM.
The 13-track compilation originally was offered free in celebration of the mogul’s 46th birthday. But after an overwhelmingly positive reception — Complex declared that Puffy was “re-energized,” and Pitchfork said he “still commands attention from hiphop heads and the casual music fan alike” — Combs rereleased MMM on iTunes on Friday, with two exclusive new tracks: Cocaine featuring Gizzle and Old Man Wildin’ featuring Jadakiss and Styles P.
In an interview Thursday, Combs, 46, attributed MMM’s success to nostalgia for the Bad Boy-era sound — “I haven’t made Bad Boy music in a while” — and said the decision to rerelease it was motivated by a counterintuitive response from fans.
“My first thought was not to have it available on iTunes, but … I’m excited that the decision was made by the people,” he says. “I had fans hitting me on Instagram or Facebook and saying, ‘ Come on. When are you going to put it on iTunes? I want to get it off there.’ And you know, it was kind of surprising to comment back to a fan and say, ‘ But you can get it for free’ or ‘ You can download it from here,’ and they’re like, ‘No, I want to buy it on iTunes.’ That really touched me.”
It’s especially poignant given that MMM is Combs’ second-tolast body of work. It serves as a segue to No Way Out 2, which he says will be the final album of his career, due early next year.
“It’s the story of Melvin’s son,” Combs explains before clarifying that No Way Out 2 won’t be a chronological story so much as a non-linear meditation on his life and musical style.
It’s a precarious task — balancing vulnerable songwriting against the kind of dance tracks that have made Combs such a legend — but he’s confident.
And it’s not so much a farewell to the industry as it is a farewell to center stage. The producer, who will perform in Miami Dec. 31 for Fox’s live special Pitbull’s
New Year’s Revolution, says he is shifting his focus toward mentoring and amplifying new artists through his music cable network, Revolt TV.
“It’s just me not being in front of the camera (and) on stage as much in that capacity,” he says. “(I’m) moving more into a role as somebody artists come to for advice and I can be more helpful behind the scenes. To be honest, I’m a coach, a ringmaster. I don’t profess to be anything but that.”
Combs adds that he wants to spend more time with his six children, particularly his daughters.
“That right there was the main decision, because you just can’t have both the right way,” he says. “I’ve had a great run and people have shown me a lot of love, and I want to finish on top, but most importantly ... I want to be there (for my kids).”