Forever

Personnel includes: Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, Redman, Lil’ Kim, Busta Rhymes, Shyne, G-Dep, Bizzy Bone, Twista, Cee-Lo (rap vocals); R. Kelly, Kelly Price, 112, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas, A.J. Johnson (vocals); Gary Bias (saxophone); Ray Brown, Michael “Patches” Stewart (trumpet); Reginald Young (trombone); Tim McKasty (keyboards); Charles “Volley” Craig (bass); Mario “Yellow Man” Winans (programming); DJ Fafu, DJ Kenyon “Fo-Five” Smith (scratches); Jack Knight, Cheri Dennis, Harve “Joe Hooker” Pierre, Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir (background vocals).

Producers include: Sean “Puffy” Combs, Mario “Yellow Man” Winans, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, Ron “AMEN-RA” Lawrence, Daven “Prestige” Vanderpool.

Engineers include: Tom Castle, Doug Wilson, Michael Patterson.

This Australian import contains the bonus remix of “P.E. 2000” with a guest shot from Mista Chuck of Confrontation Camp.

Sean “Puffy” Combs gets behind the mic once again for his sophomore solo effort, FOREVER. Packed with guest appearances from such artists as R. Kelly (“Satisfy You”), Jay-Z (“Do You Like It…Do You Want It”) and Redman (“Fake Thugs Dedication”), FOREVER is fifteen tracks deep. Known for sampling pop and R&B hits from the past and reworking them into sparkling hip-hop gems, Puff relies on various producers to keep the sounds fresh on FOREVER, including Mario Winans, Carlos Broady, and Nashiem Myrick. A track featuring the late Notorious B.I.G. and Lil’ Kim called “Real Niggas” is also featured on the album. Other notable tracks include “Angles With Dirty Faces (featuring Bizzy Bone)”; a group cut called “Reverse,” featuring Shyne, G-Dep, Cee-Lo, Busta Rhymes, and Sauce Money; and “P.E. 2000,” where Puff drops new flavor on the classic Public Enemy track “Public Enemy No. 1.”

What the critics say…

Spin (11/99, p.181) – 6 out of 10 – “…a record more about streetwise cameos than the bubbly, soda-pop hooks of NO WAY OUT. The guests include hip-hop’s deadliest enlisted men….But then again, PD’s always onto the next big thing. He’s most convincing when talking about his guiding light, Jesus…“
Entertainment Weekly (9/3/99, pp.67-8) – “…It makes for morbidly fascinating listening – frankly, picking out the instances of lyrical alarmism is more fun than playing spot-the-sample…” – Rating: B-
The Source (10/99, pp.219-20) – 3 mics out of 5 – “…some of the most formulaic hip-hop this side of Wil Smith. With his sophomore record, P-Diddy follows tried-and-true templates to a t….He enlists a virtual army of guest MCs and ghostwriters….The guest spots are FOREVER’s saving grace…“
Rap Pages (11/99, pp.149-54) – “…Although FOREVER is not bad, other artists generally have better production, and, lyrically, Puff’s solo attempts are not as successful. Puffy reminds you of a band that creates good songs whose lead vocalist sucks….He understands his limitations – he just ignores them…” – Rating: C