Forever (Puff Daddy album) explained

Forever is the second studio album of American hip hop recording artist Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, released on August 24, 1999, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records.^[1] The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200,^[2] received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),^[3] and sold 205,343 units in its first week. Despite this, Forever was met with mixed to negative reviews and trailed the success of his previous album, No Way Out (1997).^[4]

Forever was Combs' only album to be released under the name of "Puff Daddy", as his debut album, No Way Out was billed under "Puff Daddy & the Bad Boy Family". As with previous Bad Boy releases, much of the criticism was directed towards the over-commercialization of the hip hop genre and its incorporation of dance-pop, lower production quality and lackluster lyrics compared to its predecessor, many of which caused controversy at the time.

Background and production

Nearly two years following the release of his first collaboration album, No Way Out, which debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number one and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in February 1998, whereas Combs (under the name "Puff Daddy"), was nominated for Best New Artist, which he lost. He also collaborated with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, for the single "Come with Me" for the 1998 film Godzilla. The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. During the summer of 1998, the recording for Forever began, and continued into the following year.

Critical reception

Forever received mixed reviews from critics. Keith Farley of Allmusic called the album "a solid production, not quite as exciting as it should be" but praised Puff Daddy for an improved rapping style from his previous album. For Sonicnet, Kembrew McLeod commented that the sampling "choices are a bit more subtle" than No Way Out.

However, Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "brimming with megalomania, paranoia, and a comically solipsistic worldview" and Puff Daddy's rapping style as a "curiously dead monotone".

In 2006, Q magazine included Forever in their list of the 50 worst albums of all time.^[5]

Commercial performance

Forever debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 205,343 copies behind Christina Aguilera's self-titled album with first week sales of 252,800 copies.^[6] The album opened at the top spot of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[7] In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart.^[8] The album debuted at number one on the UK R&B Chart. In Canada, the album opened at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Combs' highest-charting album in the country. As of September 24, 1999, Forever has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for selling 1,000,000 copies.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[9]

Sample credits^[9]

• "Journey Through the Life" contains a sample of "For the Good Times", written by Kris Kristofferson, as performed by Al Green.
• "I'll Do This for You" contains a sample of "Get Off", written by Carl Driggs and Ish Ledesma, as performed by Foxy.
• "Do You Want It... Do You Like It..." contains an interpolation of "Wanna Get Paid", as performed by LL Cool J and the Lost Boyz.
• "I Hear Voices" contains a sample of "Bamboo Child" by Ryo Kawasaki.
• "Fake Thugs Dedication" samples "Paper Thin", written by Lana Michelle Moorer and Freddie Byrd, as performed by MC Lyte, and "Shining Star", written by Maurice White, Larry Dunn, and Philip Bailey, as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire.
• "Angels With Dirty Faces" samples "Fantasy", written by Maurice White, Verdine White, and Eddie del Barrio, as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire.
• "Satisfy You" samples "I Got 5 on It", written by Jerold Dwight Ellis III and Garrick Husbands, as performed by Luniz, "Why You Treat Me So Bad", written by Denzil Foster, Jay King, and Thomas McElroy, as performed by Club Nouveau, and "Sexual Healing", written by Marvin Gaye and Odell Brown, as performed by Gaye.
• "P.E. 2000" contains a sample of "Public Enemy No.1", written by Carlton Douglas Ridenhour and Hank Shocklee, as performed by Public Enemy and "Blow Your Head" written by Fred Wesley and James Brown as performed by Wesley and the J.B.'s.
• "Best Friend" contains a sample of "Sailing", written and performed by Christopher Cross.
• "Pain (Forever)" contains a sample of "Benjamin", written and performed by Les McCann and "Children's Story"
• "Reverse" contains a sample of "Romeo" by the Dynamic Superiors.
• "Real Niggas" contains a sample of "Real Niggaz", written by Christopher Wallace, as performed by the Notorious B.I.G.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)	Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11]	64
US Billboard 200[12]	92
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums (Billboard)[13]	51

Singles

Single Information
"P.E. 2000" Released: 1999 Hot Rap Songs: #6 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks: #34
"Satisfy You" Released: 1999 Billboard Hot 100: #2 Hot Rap Songs: #1 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks: #1
"Do You Like It... Do You Want It..." Released: 2000 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks: #67
"Best Friend" Released: 2000 Billboard Hot 100: #59 Hot R&B/Hip Hip Singles & Tracks: #67

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1999 (U.S.)

Notes and References

1. Book: Puff Daddy: Forever. 1999. Bad Boy Records.
2. Puff Daddy: Forever (Billboard 200). Billboard.
3. Web site: Puff Daddy: Forever. RIAA.
4. Web site: Sinclair . Tom . 30 August 1999 . Forever (Puff Daddy) . Entertainment Weekly.
5. May 2006. The 50 Worst Albums Ever!. Q. Bauer Media Group. 238. December 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160628094826/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#50%20Worst%20Albums. June 28, 2016. live.
6. Web site: Christina Aguilera Tops Puff Daddy With #1 Album In U.S.. MTV News. September 1, 1999. June 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160214225720/http://www.mtv.com/news/517097/christina-aguilera-tops-puff-daddy-with-1-album-in-us/. February 14, 2016. dead.
7. Diddy Scores First No. 1 Album In Nine Years. Hasty. Katie. October 25, 2006. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. February 3, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20140908075252/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/56861/diddy-scores-first-no-1-album-in-nine-years. September 8, 2014. live.
8. Web site: R Kelly . The Official Charts Company . June 16, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160603190719/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20161/r-kelly/ . June 3, 2016 . live .
   • For Black Panties: Web site: CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE. ChartsPlus. December 22, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131224104814/http://zobbel.de/cluk/131221cluk.txt. December 24, 2013. live.
9. Forever . 1999 . booklet . Bad Boy, Arista.
10. Web site: R&B : Top 50. Jam!. October 4, 1999. January 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/19991007034354/http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicCharts/RANDB.html. October 7, 1999.
11. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. September 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20150509161536/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1999. May 9, 2015. live.
12. Billboard 200 albums year end 1999. Billboard. June 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20141011193315/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1999/the-billboard-200. October 11, 2014. live.
13. Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums year end 1999. Billboard. June 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20151129190918/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1999/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums. November 29, 2015. live.