Sean
“P.Diddy” Combs, the AfroAmerica Network Black Man of the Year 2003.
AfroAmerica Network, December 22, 2003.
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Hip-hop entrepreneur Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs on
Thursday November 6, 2003, gave the
city of New York $1 million he raised for public schools by running the New York
City Marathon on November 2, 2003.The money will be used to support school
libraries and technology. Combs, who ran the race in 4:14:54, raised $2 million overall. He was expected to raise $1 million. The other $1 million will go to other charitable causes, including the Children's Hope Foundation, which helps families touched by AIDS, and Combs' own Daddy's House Social Programs.
"It's an honor and blessing,"
said Combs, whose own children attend private schools, "to do
something good for the city." Contributors to the fund include the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg
(10.000 dollars), the rapper Jay-Z (25.000 dollars) and his Diddy’s
former girlfried Jennifer Lopez and
hew new fiancée Ben Affleck (78.000 dollars).
Sean Combs was born on November 4, 1969, in
Harlem to Melvin and Janice Combs. The murder of his father when he was just
two years old forced his mom Janice to move Sean to Mount Vernon, New York. Sean attended Howard University in
Washington, D.C, but his life took a dramatic turn when he took an internship
at Uptown Entertainment, where he met the man who would become his mentor,
industry leader Andre Harrell (former President of Bad Boy Entertainment).
Shuttling back and forth from Washington D.C. to New York City, Combs' energy
and commitment earned him the leap from intern at Uptown to Director of
A&R at the age of 19. Sean is equally sought after for his advice
and career guidance as he is for his talent in the studio. Combs' has
nurtured and helped develop some of the music industry's most respected
executives and management talents, including: former Bad Boy president Kirk
Burrows currently manages Grammy Award winning artist Mary J. Blige; Leota
Blacknor, who began her career as an executive assistant at Bad Boy and is
now president at Ruff Ryders; former executive vice president Jeff Burroughs,
currently general manager of Tracey Edmunds' Edmunds Record Group; former Bad
Boy product manager Jayson Jackson who now manages Grammy Award winning
artist Lauryn Hill; former product manager at Bad Boy Free is general manager
of Def Jam's subsidiary So So Def Records; and Sean's former mentor Andre
Harrell who served as President of Bad Boy and went on to serve as president
at Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds' New America Records. Looking to
provide the same opportunities and guidance he received early in his career
as an intern at Uptown, Sean's Bad Boy businesses have employed and provided
a platform for success for hundreds of inner-city youths. Not only have Sean's talents in the music
industry become universally acknowledged, but the Bad Boy brand has come to
encompass much more than just music. What started as a venture out of his own
home had expanded not only into a multifaceted company, but a multi-million
dollar business. Bad Boy ventures now include: Notorious Entertainment; the
Sean John clothing line, which was nominated by the Council of Fashion
Designers of America for the prestigious Perry Ellis Menswear Award in both
2000 and 2001; Justin Combs Music Publishing; Bad Boy Marketing; Bad Boy
Productions; Daddy's House Studios; Daddy's House Social Programs; Bad Boy
Technologies (P-Diddy.com and BadBoyOnline.com); Bad Boy Films and Bad Boy
Books. His Sean John clothing line will soon introduce an underwear and
women's line. Most recently, Sean has taken on the film
industry, making his acting debut in the Artisan comedy "Made,"
directed by Jon Favreau ("Swingers"). He will also take a role in
the upcoming Lion's Gate feature "Monster's Ball." Sean and Bad Boy's rising success has helped
him follow through on his private vow to give back to the community that had
supported him in his youth and career. Knowing the positive impact the
consistent and careful guidance of his family, teachers and mentors had on
his own life, Sean established Daddy's House Social Programs, Inc. in 1995 to
create educational programs and initiatives in inner-city youth. Far
exceeding a simple charitable gesture, Sean helps to create and fund
innovative youth programs, including Wall Street training teams, college
visit tours for high school seniors, international travel groups, summer camp
programs and internships at Bad Boy which Combs himself instructs. Sean
returned to Howard University to donate $1 million to help continue the
institution's commitment to educating African-American youth. Furthering the
cause, Combs' helped to bridge the digital divide in urban schools by
donating more than 100 computers to 500 New York City public schools. On
Thanksgiving in 2000, Daddy's House annual food drive for underprivileged
families took on a more special and somber meaning. Learning of the passing
of civil rights leader Rev. Hosea Williams, Combs' was asked by the late
leader's daughter to carry on his legacy. Combs' carried the torch of Rev.
William's mission by sponsoring the annual Hosea's Feed the Hungry and
Homeless Thanksgiving Day dinner for more than 30,000 people in Atlanta.. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' career
continues on the road of tireless and indomitable creativity. In ten years,
he has used every minute to build, inspire, create and share the success of
an entertainment empire. Sean's knack not only to create his own music, but
his intrinsic ability to discover and nurture talent - as he did with Missy
"Misdemeanor" Elliot, teen-sensation Dream, Jodeci and Mary J.
Blige - is what keeps him at the top of the industry. Most recently Sean
launched the careers of Black Rob, Carl Thomas, SHYNE, G. Dep and DREAM, all
of who have already dominated charts and are being celebrated by fans across
the world. Sean is ready to break into the millenium with more of the same
success as he closely crafts and launches new Bad Boy artists Cheri Denis and
Marc Curry. Sean's innate talent will continue to impress upon the
entertainment industry, fans and society to closely follow his future. Sean Combs is a proud father to sons Justin,
7, Christian, 3, and his nine-year old step-son Quincy and resides in
Manhattan, New York. ©AfroAmerica Network, December 2003. Please
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