Don’t call it a comeback
Reuters catches up with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Chief Executive and Founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, whose T.V. reality show act Danity Kane topped the charts this week, marking its third hit in as many months. His own album, “Press Play”, is out Oct. 17.
Is P. Diddy back?
Here’s the Reuters story on P. Diddy’s return to the top of the charts.
Below are highlights from the interview:
A: It’s caught me totally off-guard to be honest. Most major labels break only one new artist in a year. Since we started with Warner Music we’re up to our fourth new artist including Cassie, Yung Joc, Danity Kane and soon Boyz N Da Hood. That’s something right there. That’s record industry history because it’s so hard to break a new artist, people don’t really like giving new artists a chance nowadays.
Q: What is it about working with Warner Music that has made this partnership work for Bad Boy?
A: I think their understanding of the marketplace and understanding how to be successful through the different outlets and not going through the typical outlets that the recording industry usually goes through. There’s such a strong new media and wireless focus in our overall business plan and partnership. Their understanding of top 40 radio was important but also hip-hop radio and mix-show radio and knowing how to deal with a label like mine that’s so diverse. Warner have let me be me
Q: What lessons have you learned from your previous partnerships with big record companies that have helped you this time round?
Every partnership is different. I’ve loved all my joint ventures, all my partners. At BMG those guys were great. When I was with Universal Doug Morris he’s incredible. This is the best situation for where I’m at in my life right now. I’m a long-term music man who runs his own label – I’m an endangered species.
It’s been great to get with people who made something from nothing like Julie (Greenwald president of Atlantic Records), and Lyor (Cohen, CEO of Warner U.S. Recorded Music) and Edgar (Bronfman, CEO of Warner Music Group). Edgar has invested his money wisely. People have counted him out time and time again and he somehow knows how to come back that’s the thing I think that we have in common. This is so huge for our record label, we’ve been doing this so long and the success we’re having right now is incredible. I didn’t expect it come this fast, this quick, this much.
Q: Do you feel there’s any pressure by being in partnership with a publicly-listed company?
There’s a huge amount of pressure but to be honest that’s when I perform best. A lot of people were telling me it’s difficult because I left music for a minute I got a little unfocused. I was running marathons, going on Broadway, getting people to vote, putting out number one fragrances I was doing a whole lot of things but I needed a break from music.
When I decided to come back and get focused I decided I was going to have a new run as a musician, producer and as a record label. I’m with some young hungry talented people over there at Atlantic/Warner who understand me…they let me be me and yes I feel a lot of pressure about being at a public company but I like working it that way. I like being judged on performance and paid on performance.
Q: What’s changed about the way the music industry works now from when you started out?
In the music industry we’ve been through some rough times, still are, but it’s definitely getting better. We used to shun the Internet now we bow down and embrace it. I think we’re getting rewarded for it. But at the end of the day if you don’t have a hit record, you don’t have hit record. You can use the Internet and marketing all you want but you still need hit records and that’s what we do at Bad Boy, we make hits.
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