In the
criminal indictment
for this week’s trial regarding the sex trafficking case
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
The document includes numerous aliases used by the hip-hop magnate.
Many individuals, particularly those who enjoy music, likely recognize them already.
From “Puff Daddy” to “P. Diddy,” and even the less-known “Brother Love,” let’s revisit Combs’ chosen monikers and the contexts behind them.
during his career
in each era.
Puff Daddy
His childhood moniker was Puffy since, according to an interview with Jet Magazine in 1998, he would breathe heavily and become agitated when angry. Consequently, his initial stage names were Puffy and Puff Daddy. During this period, he closely collaborated with fellow New Yorker rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was the prominent artist for Combs’ Bad Boy Records imprint.
In 1998, Combs received two Grammy Awards under the moniker Puff Daddy: one for Best Rap Album for his inaugural release “No Way Out,” and another for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be Missing You” featuring Faith Evans. That track paid homage to Notorious B.I.G., who was tragically killed in 1997, an incident that still remains unresolved. This period was
The East Coast versus West Coast hip-hop feud
, especially with Tupac Shakur from California and his group at Death Row Records. Shakur was
fatally shot in 1996
.
In 1998, Combs launched his fashion brand named after himself and his middle name, Sean John.
P. Diddy
In 2001, the transition to using P. Diddy took place shortly following Combs’ acquittal on gun and bribery charges related to an incident where he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, escaped from a NYC nightclub shooting that left three individuals injured. Certain eyewitnesses reported to law enforcement that Combs was one of those involved in firing shots within the club.
At the time, Combs pointed out that Notorious B.I.G. had bestowed upon him the moniker P. Diddy. With this new alias, Combs achieved unprecedented levels of success. In 2002, he took on the roles of both producer and lead figure in the reality television series “Making the Band.” The following year, in 2004, he headlined the Super Bowl halftime show and shortly thereafter was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for their song “Shake Ya Tailfeather.”
Diddy
In 2005, he removed the “P.” from his artistic moniker. During an interview with the “Today” show, he explained that audiences struggled when shouting out just “Diddy”. Nonetheless, he faced challenges in using Diddy solely for his 2006 album titled “Press Play”, because of legal action initiated by British DJ Richard “Diddy” Dearlove regarding the usage of the same name. Consequently, Combs utilized both P. Diddy and simply Diddy across various editions of the record.
His legal troubles and fame persisted. In 2008, Diddy resolved a lawsuit filed by an individual alleging that Diddy had assaulted them following a post-Oscars event near a Hollywood hotel in the preceding year. Approximately two months afterward, Combs received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Swag
For only one week in May 2011, Combs altered his name to “Swag,” sharing this information.
a video
Online, it was mentioned as part of his “return” following a severe sickness.
Love, a.k.a. Brother Love
In November 2017, he shared on social media that he was marking his birthday by
He changed his name to “Love, aka Brother Love.”
Combs stated he wouldn’t respond to titles like Puffy, Diddy, or Puff Daddy, nor any of his previous aliases. At the time, he acknowledged that altering his name once more posed risks and might come off as cliché, yet he felt he had evolved personally and wasn’t the same individual as before. However, later that month, he clarified that his comment about changing his name was just a joke, and people were free to continue using any of his former names.
In 2021, he declared that he had officially renamed his middle name to Love. The following year, during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” he stated that Diddy continues to be used as his stage name. He released
The Love Album – Out of Bounds
in 2023.
During his sex trafficking trial on Monday, the judge listed out the defendant’s various aliases for potential jury members, stating, “The sole defendant is Sean Combs.”
Jonathan Mattise, The Canadian Press
