Jay-Z is one of the privileged few who can call the P Diddy by his birth name, Sean Combs. has been making headlines under his legal name recently with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, transportation, and engaging in prostitution. He's currently held in federal custody as he awaits trial, vehemently denying all allegations against him.
Despite pleading not guilty, his requests for bail have been denied twice. Diddy first burst onto the music scene in 1997 when his debut single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" topped the charts. Over the years, he's adopted several stage names, including , before eventually becoming Diddy.
In 2001, following a not-guilty verdict on charges of gun possession and bribery, he decided to revamp his public image and changed his stage name to P. Diddy, reports . He stated at the time: "No more Puff Daddy - the first week in June, we're going to have a name-change ceremony.
I'm not doing it as serious as Prince. I just want something fresh. I'm rocking with P Diddy just now.
" This new moniker was featured on his next album, The Saga Continues, and had already been used as a credit on various recordings he had worked on for other artists. Sean Combs, better known as P. Diddy, chose his stage name in honor of his best friend and fellow rapper Notorious BIG, who was tragically killed in 1996.
One of Diddy's most famous songs, "I'll Be Missing You," was a collaboration with Notorious BIG's wife Faith Evans, paying tribute to the late rapper by sampli.