Maps of Music
Press Play (2006)
Where the lyrics of Press Play take you, and where it was really made.
The album was meant to be released under the stage name Diddy, but a lawsuit from a DJ with the same name effectively blocked it. It came out under the Diddy name only in regions where that name was not registered.
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Tell us the placeAlbum story
Overview
- Press Play: fourth studio album by American rapper Sean Combs, released under the names P. Diddy and Diddy
- Released Monday October 16 and Tuesday October 17, 2006, depending on region
- Bad Boy Records in a joint venture with Warner Music Group's Atlantic Records
- Its only album with that label
- Mostly dance-pop and hip-hop sound; a loose concept album about the ups and downs of a relationship
Background
- Originally meant to use Combs' stage name 'Diddy', but a lawsuit from DJ Richard 'Diddy' Dearlove effectively blocked it
- Released under the 'Diddy' name only in regions where that name was not registered
- Preceded by the single 'Come to Me', which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100
- Singles after release: 'Tell Me', 'Last Night' and 'Through the Pain (She Told Me)'
- Available as a preview on MTV's The Leak from October 10, 2006, one week before stores
Recording
- Mostly guest contributions from R&B and hip-hop performers, including Nicole Scherzinger, Christina Aguilera, Keyshia Cole, Brandy, Jamie Foxx, Ciara, Nas, Timbaland, Mary J. Blige, CeeLo Green, Keri Hilson, Big Boi, Mario Winans, Avant and Fergie
- 'Special Feeling' samples Prince's 'Baby I'm a Star'; 'Last Night' samples Prince's 'Erotic City'
- 'Get Off' samples excerpts from the composition 'Spanish Key' as written and performed by Miles Davis
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
| 1 | Testimonial (intro) | 2:24 |
| 2 | We Gon' Make It | 3:34 |
| 3 | I Am (interlude) | 1:47 |
| 4 | The Future | 3:12 |
| 5 | Hold Up | 3:29 |
| 6 | Come to Me | 4:37 |
| 7 | Tell Me | 4:06 |
| 8 | Wanna Move | 5:18 |
| 9 | P. Diddy Rock | 5:13 |
| 10 | Claim My Place (interlude) | 3:25 |
| 11 | Everything I Love | 4:23 |
| 12 | Special Feeling | 4:25 |
| 13 | Crazy Thang (interlude) | 1:15 |
| 14 | After Love | 4:47 |
| 15 | Through the Pain (She Told Me) | 5:29 |
| 16 | Thought You Said | 5:49 |
| 17 | Last Night | 6:26 |
| 18 | Making It Hard | 4:54 |
| 19 | Partners for Life | 4:32 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Career
- Born Sean John Combs in Harlem, New York City, on November 4, 1969.
- Worked as a talent director at Uptown Records, helping develop Jodeci and Mary J. Blige.
- Founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 after leaving Uptown.
- Debut album No Way Out (1997) topped the Billboard 200 and was certified septuple platinum.
- "I'll Be Missing You" was the first rap song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Changed his stage name several times: Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, and later Love.
- Founded Sean John clothing in 1998, winning CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year in 2004.
- Co-founded the Revolt television network in 2013.
- Received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2008, the first male rapper to be honored.
- Convicted in 2025 of transportation to engage in prostitution; sentenced to 50 months in prison.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Press Play received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics
- Metacritic: generally favorable reviews, with a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 from 19 critic scores
- AllMusic: four stars out of five; Andy Kellman praised the range of collaborators and guests
- Entertainment Weekly: Will Hermes gave a B and mild praise for Diddy's rapping, finding it more nimble and lyrically substantive than usual, but found the drug references and profanity at odds with the CEO persona
- Rolling Stone: Christian Hoard said the rhymes were more adept than before but the flat voice and retro boasts drag things down
- The Guardian: Alexis Petridis said the musical brilliance around Combs highlighted his shortcomings as a rapper, criticizing halting delivery and self-aggrandisement
- Los Angeles Times: Natalie Nichols rated the album two stars out of four, calling Diddy innovative and versatile but some tracks overly long
- About.com: Ivan Rott praised the album as an eclectic musical journey but was ambivalent about the songwriting
- PopMatters: Mike Joseph gave a 6 out of 10
- Slant Magazine: three stars out of five; Sal Cinquemani criticized the songwriting
- Billboard: Jeff Vrabel called the lyrical themes egomaniacal but the album a solid, often appealing party jam
- USA Today: Elysa Gardner found a few cringe-inducing interludes
- The New York Times: Kelefa Sanneh called it a garish, puzzling album
- Cokemachineglow: Chet Betz rated the album 35 percent
Records
- Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 170,000 copies
- Combs' second album to open atop the chart, after No Way Out (1997)
- Certified Gold by the RIAA on November 21, 2006, for shipments over 500,000 copies
- 703,000 units sold by September 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The limited edition includes a photo story of P. Diddy meeting a woman in a club, with the album placed in a pocket on the last page
- Target and Best Buy each had exclusive versions: Target's included a bonus DVD, and Best Buy's a bonus track called 'Get Off'
- Diddy often used ghost writers for his song lyrics, with several outside names credited on tracks such as 'Tell Me'
- 'Testimonial (Intro)' samples 'Head Over Heels' by Tears for Fears
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org