Who's Who of Bad Boy Records
A look at the respective careers of everyone from Bad Boy Records, just in time for their upcoming reunion tour.
Image via Complex Original
Bad Boy Records is back in a big way. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the iconic label, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs is reuniting with artists who were previously on the roster and currently call it home for the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, including Lil’ Kim, Faith Evans, Ma$e, Mario Winans, Carl Thomas, Total, 112, French Montana, and the Lox, plus special guests. The crew plans on hitting the road on August 25 in Columbus, Ohio, for the first of 25 dates touching down in major cities across North America before wrapping in Oakland on October 8.
For Puff and his Bad Boy consortium, this year marks a victory lap for the collective, which sold more than 400 million combined records worldwide and scored 38 platinum and multi-platinum singles through the years. Since the label's inception, the artists have all found success with the company, with some branching off to pursue their careers elsewhere and others staying put. In anticipation of the upcoming tour, Complex reflects on the respective trajectories the reunion tour artists have taken.
Puff Daddy
The ringleader of the reunion, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs established Bad Boy Records in 1993, shortly after an internship at Arista Records. Under his watch, he cultivated a multi-million-dollar empire, signing fresh talent including Notorious B.I.G., Total, Faith Evans, and the rest of the Jiggy Era squad. In addition to being a recording act in his own right—three out of four of his solo albums have gone at least platinum—he ushered the label into the new millennium with a label revival, bringing artists like Cassie, Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, Janelle Monáe, and more to the imprint. Outside of music, the 46-year-old has dabbled in acting and become an entrepreneur, launching his Sean John clothing line and promoting Ciroc vodka in a 50 percent share stake.
Lil’ Kim
Starting off as the sole female member of Junior M.A.F.I.A. under Notorious B.I.G.’s mentorship, Kimberly “Lil’ Kim” Jones helped redefine sexuality as a woman in hip-hop throughout her career, an affiliate of Bad Boy who wasn’t actually signed to the label. Her 1996 debut Hard Core scrambled the notion of what was acceptable from a woman on the mic, bolstered by sharp wordplay and strong, if dated, production. Since then, the Queen Bee has released three studio albums, most recently 2005’s The Naked Truth, and after a stint in prison through 2006, she’s dropped four mixtapes.
Ma$e
The career of Mason “Mase” Betha began at a young age, rapping alongside Cam’ron in a group called Children of the Corn, though a chance meeting with Puff Daddy in 1996 led to his signing to Bad Boy. His debut album Harlem World arrived the following year, reaching No. 1 on the charts and spawning hits including “Feel So Good.” After forming his own imprint, All Out Records, in 1998, he dropped his follow-up effort Double Up in 1999. His reign at the top was short-lived: that same year, he announced his retirement to answer his calling to God and became a pastor. Five years later, he returned with Welcome Back, but his presence since has been on and off, hopping on as a featured artist on original tracks and remixes for Kanye West, Wale, and 2 Chainz.
Faith Evans
The self-proclaimed “First Lady of Bad Boy” got her start in the church, but it was her backup contributions to Al B. Sure! that drew Puff Daddy’s attention. The connection led her to contribute backing vocals to albums from Usher and Mary J. Blige and facilitated her meeting Notorious B.I.G., to whom she eventually married. Her debut album Faith arrived in 1995, earning platinum certification and produced the hit “You Used to Love Me.” After Biggie’s death, she released three more solo albums before taking a break and returning in 2010, dropping two more albums and appearing on R&B Divas in 2012.
Mario Winans
Mario Winans was one of the few Bad Boy artists who had a recording career before working with the imprint in the ’90s. His production and songwriting credits litter the liner notes of albums released through the turn of the century, and in 2004 he released his sophomore effort Hurt No More on Bad Boy. It was a commercial success, debuting at No. 2 thanks to his hit “I Don’t Wanna Know,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. Since then, Winans hasn’t released an LP but has contributed to numerous Bad Boy projects and launched his own label, Love Legacy.
112
Bad Boy’s resident boy band (sort of), consisting of Quinnes "Q" Parker, Daron Jones, Marvin "Slim" Scandrick, and Michael Keith, hailed from Atlanta and formed when they were just in high school under the name Forte. After an audition outside of Club 112 for Puff Daddy, the quartet changed its name and set to work on its eponymous 1996 debut. The album became a hit, leading to its 1998 follow-up Room 112 and 2001 effort Part III, the latter of which housed the group's biggest hit “Peaches & Cream,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100. They soon split with Bad Boy and signed to Def Jam, and the group inevitably splintered apart to pursue solo projects, later reuniting in 2012.
Total
Total consisted of Kima Raynor, Keisha Spivey, and Pamela Long, and first appeared the world singing the hook on Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” and “One More Chance,” before dropping their self-titled debut in January 1996. With a few hits under their belts, the trio released their sophomore effort Kima, Keisha, and Pam in 1998, but faded from the scene soon after, performing live at a few events and contributing vocals to cuts from Foxy Brown and the Bad Boy Family.
Carl Thomas
Smooth crooner Carl Thomas signed to Bad Boy in 1997 after Puff Daddy spotted him doing open mics in New York City. His debut album Emotional didn’t arrive until 2000 but became an instant hit, thanks to the success of lead single “I Wish,” which spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His light dimmed in the years that followed, with two albums released in the seven years that followed. He signed to Verve Music Group to put out 2011’s Conquer, which peaked at No. 165 on the Billboard 200.
French Montana
The most recent artist to sign to Bad Boy Records who is participating on the reunion tour, French Montana joined the reinvigorated roster in a joint partnership with Maybach Music Group in 2012, tapping the respective label honchos Puff Daddy and Rick Ross to co-executive produce his 2013 studio debut, Excuse My French. As one of hip-hop’s go-to collaborators, French has kept his buzz on high through a series of mixtape releases and guest features. His sophomore album MC4, featuring the single "Lock Jaw," releases in August 2016.
The Lox
The Lox—Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch—have had one of the most storied careers of anyone who’s graced the Bad Boy roster. The trio signed to the imprint in 1995 to release their 1998 debut Money, Power & Respect, but soon hit a snag when they tried to sign instead with Ruff Ryders and Puff wouldn’t let them go. They inevitably got their wish, releasing We Are the Streets in 2000 and its sequel this year. In between, each member embarked on successful solo careers, putting out a combined total of nearly two dozen albums and projects and securing countless chart hits.