P. DIDDY DOES IT, INKS
BAD BOY TO UNIVERSAL

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, founder and CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment, has entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Universal Records, it was announced today by Universal/Motown Records Group Chairman Mel Lewinter and Combs.

As part of the newly inked distribution deal, Universal will provide marketing and promotional support for Bad Boy’s roster and distribute both the Bad Boy catalog and all new releases from the label.

Universal will provide all marketing, promotion, radio and video support for the label, which will continue to be owned 100% by Combs.

Bad Boy Records has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 10 million alone by P Diddy. Its roster includes, in addition to Diddy, Notorious B.I.G., Dream, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas, the recently reunited New Edition, 8Ball & MJG, Loon, Mario Winans, and the winners of MTV’s #1-rated show Making the Band 2. Rapper Black Rob, gold artists Total and Craig Mack, as well as up-and-coming acts G. Dep and Cheri Denis are also part of the Bad Boy family.

Said Lewinter: "We are excited and honored to welcome P. Diddy and Bad Boy to the Universal family. As a songwriter, producer and artist, P. Diddy is one of the world’s most gifted and accomplished creative talents, who has cultivated a remarkable business over the last decade. We look forward to playing an important role in what is sure to be his next career milestone, when he re-names himself P. Doodle Dandy next July 4."

Added Combs: "I am thrilled be working with [UMG Chairman/CEO] Doug Morris Mel and the entire Universal family. It was important for me to have the opportunity to grow Bad Boy, and I can do that with the music industry’s #1 music powerhouse. This is a perfect situation for me and Bad Boy, and I can’t wait to get out there and start making music history."

In a mere eight years, under the guidance of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Bad Boy has grown to become one of the most dominant urban labels in the business, with acts that have had tremendous crossover success.

Throughout the years, Bad Boy has been home to pioneering rappers such as Notorious B.I.G., The Lox and Mase as well as R&B stars Faith Evans and 112. Recently, the label has enjoyed pop success with a platinum release by Dream. Combs’ production work has scored countless hits for the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Last year, Combs ended his long-standing relationship with Arista, walking away with his entire artist roster and rights to 100% of his catalogue.

Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group (BBWEG) encompasses a broad range of businesses, including recording, music publishing, artist management, television and film production, recording facility, marketing and advertising, apparel and restaurants, with annual sales quickly approaching $300 million annually and an employee base of 600.

Formed in 1994, the flagship company of BBWEG, Bad Boy Records, has annual sales that have reached an overall average of $100 million, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide. Bad Boy recently moved to 1440 Broadway New York, which will become the corporate headquarters housing all Combs’ business entities.

The label has several major upcoming releases, including reunited New Edition, 8Ball & MJG, Loon, Dream and a Notorious B.I.G duets album, pairing his verses with new beats and other voices. P. Diddy is currently working on Mary J. Blige's next album.