LOS ANGELES – If Sean “Diddy” Combs had a choice, the self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur would be hunkered down in a recording studio instead of running one of his many successful businesses.
But for more than a decade, Diddy stopped making albums. He credits a late night dream a few years ago for awakening him from his musical slumber.
“I went away for a while, went through a lot of things in life, and then one day I got a call from God. She was like, ‘It’s time,’” he recalled in a recent interview. The three-time Grammy winner said that the low-key sound he heard immediately inspired him to refocus his attention on making his own music.
On Friday, Diddy will release his new album “The Love Album – Off the Grid.” Her fifth studio project features Mary J. Blige, Justin Bieber, HER, Babyface, John Legend, Busta Rhymes, Summer Walker, among others. Teyana Taylor, Coco Jones and Jazmine Sullivan. The album’s lead single “Another One of Me” features The Weeknd, French Montana and 21 Savage.
It is her first solo studio project since 2006’s chart-topping “Press Play”, which spawned two top 10 hit singles: “Last Night” with Keyshia Cole and “Come to Me” featuring Nicole Scherzinger.
After his mausoleum, Diddy built a recording studio at his home and began working on music.
“It was God in the form of a woman. …And I said, ‘It’s time,’” he said, describing his dream.
“I was asking myself the question: ‘If you had to do one thing for the rest of your life, what would you do?’ And that would be making music.
“‘What will make you happy?’ That would be music.
“‘What has helped you make a positive impact on the world? That would be music.’ But I wasn’t doing music. From that moment on, I jumped head first into this project.”
But first, he had to shed his professional responsibilities. Diddy had a lot to hand over: He heads his widely popular label Bad Boy Records, Revolt TV and its focus on music, fashion clothing line Sean John and Empower Global, which launched in July to be a black-owned is a curated marketplace featuring brands.
This month, Diddy handed his Bad Boy publishing rights back to the artists and songwriters. The move came after some people criticized him for mistreating his artistes over the years.
“I’m passionate about driving progress across all industries,” he told The Associated Press after the interview. “If I speak out about change, I am committed to being an active participant in that change. Reassigning the publication was the right thing to do.”
Diddy was one of the popular contenders interested in purchasing BET Media Group, until Paramount Global decided to sell a majority stake of the network. He is in an ongoing dispute with spirits giant Diageo after he sued the company accusing it of racism over the way it handles its liquor brands. The company denies his claims.
“I like being a businessman. this is my work. Making music is my love,” said Diddy, who received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday. He recently donated $1 million each to the Jackson State University football team and the Earn Your Leisure Fund, which is expected to be used for financial literacy investments.
“I had to practice self-love and choose what I really love to do. Business is still happening. But I can no longer stay in a meeting for three or four hours. I need to make music and live life and spread this frequency of love. I am going to take care of my business. But it’s right here, it’s like a kid in a candy store. This is what I like to do. This is my happiness. This is my blessing.”
Diddy said that the most rewarding part was working with all the artists, producers, and writers during the recording process. He imagined how Motown Records founder Berry Gordy must have felt when stars like The Temptations and Marvin Gaye recorded at Hitsville USA studios in those days.
“I’ll take over the studio,” he said. “Everyone was calling to be a part of the ‘Love Album.’” If they wanted to do that, no one made me wait more than 30 seconds for an answer. . It was all authentic. I thank God, no one told me ‘no’.”
Diddy said that he wanted to tell a story on the album that reflected his fun-filled love life.
He said, “It was important to make an album that people could enjoy, music that makes babies, dances to and goes off the grid for 48 hours.” “Turn off your phone and lock in with someone important. Laugh, dance, cry, love, eat, relax and do it all again. that’s important.”
Source: www.bing.com
