Combs Resurrects Bad Boy with Soundtrack
NEW YORK (Billboard) – Sean “P. Diddy” Combs likes to think big.
So when the entertainment mogul decided to relaunch his Bad Boy Records with new distributing partner Universal Records, he determined that it would be with an album that he predicts will be “the biggest soundtrack of the year.”
That album is Bad Boys II, which will be released July 15. It is the first soundtrack ever released by the Bad Boy label.
Combs’ label had been affiliated with Arista Records. The two companies parted ways last year. Combs brought Bad Boy to Universal earlier this year under a three-year deal in which Universal will market, distribute, and promote Bad Boy releases worldwide.
The Bad Boys II movie opens July 18 in U.S. theaters. The Columbia Pictures action flick features returning stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, who starred in the 1995 film Bad Boys.
Unlike many soundtracks, Bad Boys II consists entirely of previously unreleased songs.
The album boasts an all-star list of multi-platinum artists, including Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Beyonce Knowles, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg.
Combs tells Billboard, “You hear so many competitive stories about the music business, but I want to emphasize that this soundtrack was a real cohesive effort. I don’t usually ask people for a lot of favors, but I called in a lot of favors to do this soundtrack. My friends really helped me out.
“An artist like Justin Timberlake had never done a soundtrack song before this one,” he continues. “This album also has collaborations that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Those collaborations include Nelly and P. Diddy featuring Murphy Lee on “Shake Ya Tail Feather”; the Notorious B.I.G. and 50 Cent on “Realest N!##@S”; Snoop Dogg featuring Loon on “Gangsta S—“; Fat Joe and P. Diddy on “Girl I’m a Bad Boy”; and P. Diddy, Lenny Kravitz, and Pharrell on “Show Me Your Soul.”
Bad Boy has released two first singles from the project: “Shake Ya Tail Feather” and Jay Z’s “La-La-La (Excuse Me Again).” Combs says the next single will be “Show Me Your Soul.”
The mogul says, “I had just closed my deal with Universal, and I heard they were going to be doing something with Bad Boys II. I always wanted to be involved with the sequel, so I called up Will Smith, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Martin Lawrence and told them I wanted to put out the Bad Boys II soundtrack.”
Bad Boy president Lewis Tucker says the label is planning a multimedia blitz to market the album.
“We’re having a Bad Boy weekend the weekend before the album’s release. We’re looking at taking over radio with spots for the soundtrack and a lot of phoner-driven contests and requests.”
Radio stations in more than 75 markets will have giveaways for about 125 Bad Boys II movie screenings.
MtV.com will host a listening party for the soundtrack. In addition, Combs and Bad Boys II stars Lawrence and Gabrielle Union will appear on MTV’s Total Request Live around the time of the movie’s release. MTV’s Making the Video series will feature an episode about the “Shake Ya Tail Feather” video. BET will also air a special segment about the Bad Boys II movie and soundtrack. At press time, air dates were to be determined.
Combs says he is looking forward to starting a new chapter in the history of his label, which he founded in 1991.
“A lot of boutique labels were around then, and mine is one of the few that’s still standing. I’ve made a lot of friends along the way, and that has a lot to do with why I’ve been able to put out great records like this one.”
Categories