Rap impresario Sean "Puffy" Combs, aka "Puff Daddy," grew up in Mount Vernon, N.Y. and attended Howard University, where he dreamed of becoming a rapper. Combs became an intern at Uptown Records, and was quickly promoted to A&R, where he guided the careers of future R&B megastars Mary J. Blige and Jodeci.

In 1993 Combs left Uptown to form his own label, Bad Boy Entertainment, signing Faith Evans, Craig Mack and the Notorious B.I.G. Bad Boy sold over 12 million albums by 1994, and Combs won awards for his songwriting, contributing material to performers such as Boyz II Men, TLC, SWV and Aretha Franklin, as well as his own artists; he also remixed tracks for various hip-hop groups. Combs then expanded into other businesses: a restaurant, a line of clothing and Bad Boy Films.