20 iconic songs produced by Diddy

Diddy teamed up with producer and frequent collaborator Stevie J. on The Notorious B.I.G.’s hit song “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” The track samples Diana Ross’ hit “I’m Coming Out,” and powerhouse singer Kelly Price lends her vocals on the hook. The song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and is still a favorite among Biggie fans today.

Diddy has always had an ear and eye for talent. That skill came through when R&B group 112 auditioned for him and landed a deal with his Bad Boy record label. In 1996, 112 released their debut single, “Only You,” a song in which a guy tells his partner that he only wants to be with them and nobody else.

The working relationship between Mariah Carey and Diddy goes back to the mid-'90s when they teamed up on the "Fantasy" remix. In 1997, they joined forces again alongside Stevie J. on “Honey,” the lead single from Carey's sixth studio album Butterfly. By this time in Carey's career, she wanted to take the blended worlds of R&B and hip-hop to another level, and Diddy and Stevie J. helped her master that.

Although Diddy has progressed in his career from A&R to record executive, he still has a love for releasing his own music. In 2006, he released Press Play, his fourth album. The album garnered four singles, including the Keyshia Cole-assisted track “Last Night.” Co-producing alongside Mario Winans, the song became a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1997, Diddy released his debut album, No Way Out. It garnered five singles, including the hit song “Been Around the World.” In typical Diddy remix fashion, the song samples David Bowie’s 1983 song “Let’s Dance” and an interpolation of Lisa Stansfield’s “All Around The World.” 

Total was the first girl group signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy record label. In 1995, they released their debut single, “Can’t You See,” which featured labelmate The Notorious B.I.G. It was the perfect introductory track for the group, especially since Biggie was a hot commodity in the rap game. The song is about a woman professing her love to a partner and wanting him to know how she feels.

As the first female act signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy record label, Faith Evans became known as the roster’s first lady. In 1998, Evans released her sophomore album Keep The Faith, led by the hit single “Love Like This.” The song is still the singer’s most successful single and got new life when Fatman Scoop turned it into “Be Faithful.”

In 2002, Diddy decided to release a Bad Boy compilation album titled We Invented the Remix. With production alongside Mario Winans, Diddy teamed up with Usher, his friend and former mentee, for the lead single, “I Need a Girl (Pt. 1)." The song finds Diddy reminiscing about his past relationships that didn’t work out as he hoped. 

At one point in Diddy’s career, he was a popular reality TV star. In 2002, he starred in MTV’s Making the Band 2, a reality show and talent search competition where Diddy looked to assemble a hip-hop group. The finalized group Da Band released their debut album, Too Hot for TV, the following year. Diddy produced the second single, “Tonight.”

In 2001, R&B group 112 released Part III, its third album. The album garnered three singles, including the group’s highest charting track, “Peaches & Cream.” With production from Diddy and Mario Winans, the song is about men having their sexual desires fulfilled.

Although Mary J. Blige was never signed to Bad Boy, Diddy was instrumental in crafting her early sound. Diddy teamed up with Chucky Thompson on the production of Blige’s iconic song “My Life.” The song samples Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” Blige has never shied away from letting listeners into her life story and the song encourages people to push through.

“Hypnotize” became The Notorious B.I.G.’s last record before his untimely death. It came with the famed hook, “Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can’t you see / Sometimes your words just hypnotize me.” The song took over the No. 1 spot on Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Rap Singles charts.

The third single from Diddy’s No Way Out album was the Bad Boy all-star anthem “It’s All About the Benjamins.” In true Diddy fashion, the song samples the Love Unlimited track “I Did It for Love.” Diddy comes in at the song's beginning, flaming as he says, “Now… what y'all wanna do? / Wanna be ballers? Shot-callers? Brawlers?”

Diddy teamed up with Trackmasters on Total’s second single, “No One Else.” With a sample of the Boogie Down Production’s “South Bronx," the song is about a woman convincing her man that she only has a love for him. 

In 2007, Diddy searched for talented stars on Making the Band 4. This time, he was searching for a new R&B group, which eventually turned out to be DAY26. With production from Diddy and Mario Winans, the group released their debut single, “Got Me Going,” the following year. 

In 1994, Mary J. Blige released her highly anticipated sophomore album, My Life. Diddy teamed up with Poke of the Trackmasters to produce the lead single, “Be Happy.” The song samples Curtis Mayfield’s 1979 track “You’re So Good To Me," as Blige sings about finding the love of her life and happiness. 

In 1995, Faith Evans released her debut album, Faith. The album garnered four singles, including the hit track “Soon As I Get Home.” The smooth ballad is about Evans getting home to her man and apologizing for any wrongdoing.

Diddy followed up the first version of “I Need a Girl” with a second installment. While Loon continued with another featured rap, Diddy added a different set of vocals this time around with Mario Winans and Ginuwine. While "Part 1" was more of a mid-tempo track, "Part 2" was upbeat and became quite the party anthem.

When Usher first hit the scene, Diddy served as his mentor. Diddy worked with Chucky Thompson on Usher’s second single, “Think Of You,” a track that peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

To continue the success from their previous work on “Honey,” Mariah Carey teamed up with Stevie J. and Diddy on her hit song “Breakdown.” The song is about a woman trying to deal with a partner who left her, and she’s torn to the point of breaking down.