[Shaun Boothe] [*"Going the Distance" by Bill Conti plays*]
The unauthorized copy...Hustlers Edition
I'm Shaun Boothe..
[Chapter 6]
1969, November 4th
Harlem, New York
There was a newborn, first name Sean, last name Combs
Two years old, his father was shot in the dome
Mama all alone
She loved her husband but she wouldn't raise a clone
So she worked hard, three jobs on her own
Bought herself a home, away from the street life
Gave her little boy Sean's future a re-write
Something he'd appreciate when he was grown
Yeah, see he was one of the lucky ones
But as a kid he'd always puff out his chest when he's angry
That's where he got the name Puffy from
Young, black, with a drive that was unmatched
Got into Howard but his mind wasn't one-tracked
He threw himself in every grind that was untapped
Throwing dances, limousine company
Young entrepreneur, an enterprising one at that
Got a chance to intern at Uptown
So he'd take the train to NY, come back
Go to cla** but that didn't last
[*"Real Love" by Mary J. Blige plays*]
He dropped out, back to NY - home at last
Got with Andre Harell to pursue his dream
You see his, +Real Love+ was the music scene
He couldn't wait for no degree, he was too extreme
See he came up quick at that internship
That his friend Heavy D hooked him up wit
'89 at 19, he would fade 'em all
And got promoted to the VP of A&R
Became the youngest exec. in the industry
And would oversee a group named Jodeci
See back then, R&B had a sweet look
But Puff wanted something shocking to the ma**es
Hoodies, Tims, Puff gave 'em a street look
No cheap blazers and champagne gla**es
Uh, and to the top they'd, rise
Remixing songs with a Hip hop feeling
Then he'd do the same thing with Mary J., Blige
And took the "Real Love" drums from "Top Billin'"
Y'know, that {Milk is chillin} and then the {Giz is chillin}
And what more can I say?? {Top billin'}
[*"Real Love (Remix)" by Mary J. Blige plays*]
Fusing R&B with more rap
And redefining the remix format
Clear signs of his marketing mind
Targeting both demographics at the same time, uh
And wit Jocedi and Mary as the co-sponsors
He would spark the whole hip-hop soul genre
[*"I Love You Baby" by Black Rob plays]
...Back to the wind
To think the year before he was trapped in a gym
Nine dead bodies - everyone pointing at him
Cause his little event was packed to the brim
...Ma**ively oversold
They stampeded the gates
Bodies got crushed like grapes
And he was the promoter so
When the blame came, he had to hold his own
The media would run amuck
Called him heartless, strung him up
It took a year but still he made it thru the darkness
And back at Uptown he was comin up
But these thoughts kept comin up {Baaaaaad Boooooy}
Pf him runnin his own company
And whether it was Puff's ego
Or Harrell's jealousy, he fired him in '93
Down but not for the count
Met Clive, struck a deal, got his label off the ground
Bad Boy Records, it was time to get busy
And the first artists up was Craig Mack then {BIGGIE}
[*"One More Chance (Stay With Me Remix)" by Notorious B.I.G. plays*]
Uh, and the young Brooklynite wouldn't let us down
Right out the Unsigned Hype demo pile
Is where he found him, called him, before all the stardom
"Excuse me, can I speak to..." {BIGGIE}
A terror since the public school era
But soon as they would pair up, they flared up
Now shout out to Craig Mack, he had a hot track
But everyone knew the franchise was {BIGGIE}
Uh, a diamond in the rough, Puff polished it
Plus brought him hits
You see he always had a formu-la for moo-la
And how to make more sooner, uh-huh yeah..
{B-BIGGIE} {c'mon...}
[*sped-up samples of B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" then Isley Brothers' "Between the Sheets"
Along with mixed loops of "It's All About the Benjamins" plays*]
...Pushin him to record smoother
Tracks like "One More Chance," "Big Poppa"
Dammit, they sure blew up
Then the East Coast/West Coast war rumors, brewed up
Uh, still he was breaking singer after singer
...Rap star after rap star
...And all thru the 90s'
Sean 'Puffy' Combs had the game in a half-guard
...Then came the sad part
Shots rang out, four of 'em hit Pac
No one thought that it would go that far
Then hip hop suffers another +B.I.G.+ loss
Devastated but still dedicated
Commemorating his friend that never made it
He got behind the mic, "I'll Be Missing You"
And '97 he was in everyone's living room
Showing the world how to stack dough up
Crossover, infiltrate pop culture {uh-huh}
Haters didn't wanna give him his credit
Like 200 million's something to gloss over {uh-uh}
Listen, this isn't about lyricism
I told y'all this is The Hustlers' Edition {that's right}
And the boy went from rookie
To a paper fortune - no Chinese cookie, damn {eh eh, eh eh}
[*second part of "It's All About the Benjamins,"
Which samples Jackson 5's "It's Great to Be Here" plays*]
And he was diversifying the brand
Sean John clothing, Making the Band {C'mon}
Justin's, plus his own fragrance
Hustlin, even his valet got famous, for nothin
Came a long way from a young teen
Back up dancing in videos, {that's right} rockin a Gumby
Vote or Die, mobilizing youth thru his stardom
But you know what it is, +Mo' Money, Mo' Problems+...
["Smoke Rings" by Sam Cooke plays]
{Puff...puff...puff...}
Um-hm, I mean he definitely had some bumps on the road along the way
{OHHH, you can puff your cares awaaaaaaaay..}
Legal troubles, highly publicized court dates
{Hmmmmmm...} I mean...whatever
[*back to "It's Great to Be Here" sample*]
Making hits, high profile relationships
Raking in the kinda cash you beat cases wit
Media mogul, American dream
Whatever the roadblock, can't stop, won't stop
[Outro]
The Unauthorized Biography of Sean Combs
Next chapter: Oprah Winfrey
PEACE