He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher and the Notorious B.I.G., for whom he served as manager and hype man.

Two of its singles, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "I'll Be Missing You", topped the Billboard Hot 100—the latter was the first hip hop song to debut atop the chart.

He has worked as a producer for other media, including the reality television series Making the Band, and he starred in the films Made (2001), Monster's Ball (2001) and Get Him to the Greek (2010).

In March 2024, several properties tied to Combs were raided by the Department of Homeland Security and that September, he was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering.

[19] In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser with Heavy D held at the City College of New York (CCNY) gymnasium, following a charity basketball game.

[24] The Hitmen, his in-house production team, worked with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, Aretha Franklin, and others.

Combs and Wallace were criticized and parodied by Death Row Records cohorts Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s.

[38] By the late 1990s, he was being criticized for watering down and overly commercializing hip hop, and for relying excessively on guest appearances, samples, and interpolations of past hits.

[39] For example, in a 1997 review of No Way Out for Billboard, Havelock Nelson commented: "...the over-reliance on huge swathes of undiluted samples is simply clumsy, lazy, and demeaning to the sources.

[43] Forever, Combs's second solo studio album, was released by Bad Boy Records on August 24, 1999, in North America, and in the UK on the following day.

[46] He appeared as a drug dealer in the film, Made, and starred with Halle Berry, Heath Ledger, and Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball (both in 2001).

[51] In June 2001, Combs ended Bad Boy's distribution deal with Arista Records, gaining full control of the label, its catalogue, and its roster of artists.

[66] In 2006, when Combs refused to release rapper Mase from his contractual obligations with Bad Boy to allow him to join the group G-Unit, 50 Cent recorded a diss song, "Hip-Hop".

[80] Combs made an appearance at comedian Chris Gethard's live show in January 2010 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City.

The release was preceded by four singles: "Angels", "Hello Good Morning", "Loving You No More", and "Coming Home", each saw mixed success on the Billboard Hot 100, although the latter peaked at number 11 on the U.S.

[86] On February 26, 2014, Combs premiered "Big Homie", featuring Rick Ross and French Montana, as the first single from his mixtape MMM (Money Making Mitch), which was originally scheduled to be released that year.

[92] In July 2015, Bad Boy Entertainment signee Gizzle told the press that she was collaborating with Combs on the ultimately-cancelled album No Way Out 2, a sequel to his 1997 debut.

[105][106] The following June, he released the single "Gotta Move On", which features singer Bryson Tiller and marked his first entry—at number 79—on the Billboard Hot 100 since "Coming Home".

[118] In late 2006, the department store Macy's removed Sean John jackets from their shelves when they discovered that the clothing was made using raccoon dog fur.

[129] In February 2015, Combs teamed up with actor Mark Wahlberg and businessman Ronald Burkle of Yucaipa Companies to purchase a majority holding in Aquahydrate, a calorie-free beverage for athletes.

[167][168] On December 27, 1999, Combs, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, and his protégé rapper Shyne were at Club New York in Times Square in Manhattan when gunfire occurred.

[176] Accusations were that workers were subjected to body searches and involuntary pregnancy tests, bathrooms were locked and access tightly controlled, and employees were forced to work overtime and received sweatshop wages.

"[178] In February 2004, Kernaghan announced that improvements had been implemented at the factory, including adding air conditioning and water purification systems, firing the most abusive supervisors, and allowing the formation of a labor union.

[189] In 2021, Combs filed a $60 million lawsuit against the new owners of Sean John, claiming the firm used his likeness without his permission and fabricated quotes endorsing their new product line.

[190][191] In 2023, Combs filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Diageo, claiming that the spirits company deliberately "knee-capped" the marketing and sales of his Cîroc vodka and DeLéon tequila labels.

[193][194] On March 25, 2024, former Syracuse University basketball player and Combs associate Brendan Paul was arrested at the Opa Locka Airport in Miami-Dade County, Florida, on two charges of cocaine and controlled substance possession; he was released the next day after posting a $2,500 bond.

[205][206] On May 17, 2024, CNN released surveillance footage of Combs physically assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, on March 5, 2016.

[211] Andrew Van Arsdale of the AVA Law Group, which is working with Buzbee, said they have heard abuse allegations against Combs from some three thousand people, and their team is currently actively examining another hundred potential cases.

[212] Combs was arrested and indicted in the Southern District of New York on September 16, 2024 on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes of prostitution.

[218] On 12 February 2025, Combs' representatives filed a defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Ample Entertainment alleging Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy contains defamatory statements.