News: Bad Boy Records Closes Up Shop

According to Daily Mathematics web-blog insider Combat Jack it seems that the iconic record label that we all rode with, danced with and cried with in it's mid and late 90's hay days (you know you did) is finally shutting down.

Earlier this week longtime CEO Sean Combs (once known as Puff) quietly inked a deal with Interscope Records to relocate the label and himself to the industry powerhouse. The deal had many of Bad Boy's longtime employee's clearing out their desks today and going home for thee last time ever as Bad Boy staffers.

The fine details of Diddy's new deal over at Interscope weren't disclosed, but according to ex-employee's it's [the deal] way smaller than what Bad Boy used to pull in from major brands and now the former Warner Music Group subsidiary will be run day to day by Interscope employees.

Bad Boy exists no more. At least not the way we remember it.

The label that introduced me and so many others to one of the greatest MC's of all- time is now nothing more than an after thought that will undoubtedly be slowly ground down to nothing over at Hip-Hop's "machine". I would of rather that they just ended the label cold turkey. I mean yes, it had been quite awhile since they had put out anything that I picked up, but once upon a time the albums they released weren't instant coffee coasters. From the Notorious One to Craig Mack, Black Rob, Faith Evans, The L.O.X., Total, Carl Thomas, Shyne, G.Dep and later on southern legends 8-Ball and MJG, the imprint was once a budding stable for legitimate Hip-Hop and R&B acts.

I blame Puff of course.

He never properly followed up the successes of any of his best artists, instead more often opting to sort of forcibly collaborate with them and take in some of their notoriety and sales. There was always constant grumblings about how he "got down". The 4 or 5 year war of words with Suge Knight, his somewhat speedy production of a posthumous B.I.G. album (and other bastardisations of Big's music), The L.O.X. demanding to be "let go" as well as his very suspect treatment of Shyne during their trial permanently rendered him somewhat of a snake in many industry and public eyes. Even his clothing line wasn't immune from controversy as accusations of sweatshop labor and animal cruelty swirled wildly. He went from one of the better hype and business men in the game to one of the most obnoxious, lame and self-aggrandizing New York CEO's since Donald Trump.

The former Uptown records intern is now more known for his incredibly bad solo music ventures, pushing Vodka and reality TV deals. Having traded in the very chip that got him where he is now I can only imagine the feelings he had signing that dotted Interscope line. Maybe he felt nothing.

I don't wish Puff any ill will, but I look at the facts and sort of feel conflicted about where he should be remembered in Hip-Hop history. There might be a famous saying about profiting the world and losing one's soul that could apply here, but maybe it's not that serious. Still, one can only sit back and imagine what could of been had Big not been killed. Had Shyne not decided to buck off in the club, had the music industry somehow managed to stay strong during the digitization and downloading era. In the end we're all left to wonder as we stare aimlessly at our old Bad Boy Cd's and Tapes.

-BIG D O