Diddy Announces New Label
Sean “Diddy” Combs, now known as Love, may have claimed to have retired from music in 2016, but the hip-hop mogul is still investing in other acts. The Bad Boy Records founder recently announced his new label. The label is under the umbrella of another legendary machine famous for iconic superstars like Diana Ross.
Diddy announces new label with Motown Records
The Ciroc vodka entrepreneur announced on Tuesday, May 10 that he has signed an exclusive one-album deal with Motown Records. The deal comes after he swore his album No Way Out 2 would be his final project. Along with the deal is a new record label appropriately titled, Love Records. He formerly changed his name in 2017.
As for why he’s embarking on this new journey, Diddy said in an official press release: “Music has always been my first love. Love Records is the next chapter. [It’s] about getting back to the love and making the best music of my life.
With his new label, Diddy – who helped shape the careers of the likes of Mary J. Blige and Faith Evans – says he wants to breathe new life into R&B. “[The label] will be dedicated to R&B music and will release singles and collaborative projects from a collective of world-class artists, producers, and songwriters” the release notes, per Page Six. “For the label, I’m focused on creating timeless R&B music with the next generation of artists and producers. Motown is the perfect partner for my album and I’m excited to add to its legacy,” he added.
What inspired Diddy to change his name to Love?
Diddy has been on a mission in recent years to embody nothing but positivity, which included the name change and refocusing on creating opportunities for people in the music industry. He revealed that his name change was inspired by his longtime love, model Kim Porter.
The two met while Porter was working as a receptionist at the same record label in the early 90s. After a decade of an on-again-off-again romance – including his brief relationship with Jennifer Lopez, they split for good in 2006 when Porter learned he’d fathered a child with another woman. Still, they remained close friends.
Porter died unexpectedly in 2018 due to pneumonia. Of the name official name change, he says Porter was the beginning of his transition. “I had to start to deal with it when I lost Kim,” he told Vanity Fair. “I was like, ‘Man, you had it’…I’m not saying I would do any of it differently,” he adds of Porter and his regrets, describing her as the love of his life. “God willing—I would have had more time. I look at my life as I got a second chance. I’m on my second mountain.”
Who will be on the new label?
Official artists on his label have not yet been revealed. However, he continues to make major moves in the industry. It was recently announced that he’d executive produce the Billboard Music Awards for the first time, something he’s excited to do. The mogul also has a Lifetime biopic in the works.
