Diddy

It was never much of a contest, but with his second solo album Puff Daddy retains his crown as the biggest ego in hip-hop, if not popular music. It's an arrogance that asserts itself in the over twenty pictures included in the album booklet (all with different posings and outfits), in the opening track -- "Forever (Intro)" -- that updates listeners with all the sordid details of Puffy's personal life, even though they'd been headlined ever since the death of Notorious B.I.G. With all this ego strutting around, Puffy's sizable production talents have consistently been underrated. The truth is, he's been one of the best hip-hop producers of the '90s, creator of countless solid party jams, heavy on the groove and quite creative for their crossover potential. Though most of the tracks on Forever are co-productions with young lieutenants from his Bad Boy organization, Puffy's productions shine through. And he's downplayed sampling obvious pop hits for the main groove of his songs, perhaps a response to the constant criticism of hip-hop fans. Puffy's also a better rapper than he used to be, almost up to the level of the MC superstars guesting here -- Jay-Z, Nas, Redman, Busta Rhymes and best of all, a few new choruses by the late Notorious B.I.G. on "Real N****." On "Is This the End (Part Two)," Puffy pushes Timbaland funk into light-speed, with appropriate rapping by Twista. There are no tracks as propulsive as the hits from No Way Out ("It's All About the Benjamins," "Been Around the World") and the ballad track "Best Friend," which samples Christopher Cross' "Sailing," is a lame rehash of the Biggie tribute "I'll Be Missing You." The final track (and first single), the Public Enemy-sampling "P.E. 2000," is an apt metaphor for Puff Daddy's second album; it's a solid production, not quite as exciting as it should be, informed by a mindset that uses hip-hop as a ladder to pop success and wealth. [Forever is also available in a clean version, with all obscenities removed.] ~ Keith Farley, All Music Guide