You can call him Puff Daddy, Sean Combs, P-Diddy, or simply Diddy. But you can never overlook the business acumen, determination, and work ethic of the man. Sometimes, he’s a media mogul and record company owner. Often a rapper, other times an actor, and sometimes an entrepreneur. And, above all, a shameless self-publicist.
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P-Diddy has many hats, all of which he can juggle or even wear at the same time. The best Diddy songs of all time prove that he’sa very underrated rapperand artist. One that mostly doesn’t get his just due in this department.
When he formed Bay Boy Entertainment back in 1993, he quickly became a force to be reckoned with and introduced the Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.) to the world. However, today I am going to talk about thebest Diddy songs. That way, you can get a feel for his style and emcee ability.
50 Best Diddy Songs of All Time
1
I’ll Be Missing You (feat. Faith Evens)“I’ll Be Missing You” was a tribute track about the death of his friend Biggie Smalls. It featured Biggie’s former wife, Faith Evens, on the chorus and famously sampled “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. The track also featured another artist called 112.
It’s quite possibly one of the saddest songs ever. But it’s also a very beautiful and poignant tribute to Biggie. To date, it remains one of themost popular Diddy songsever.
When it was initially released back in May 1997, it immediately hit the pinnacle of most music charts. The heartfelt sincerity of the lyrics made this song very popular with those who have lost someone special. It’s a song that most people can relate to, and it will live forever because of its authentic emotion.
2
Bad Boy For LifeIf the first track on this list ofP-Diddy’s best songsleft you sad and depressed, let’s change up the mood. “Bad Boy for Life” might well be the most fun track he ever made. It’s also quite hard in terms of production and is a real banger. It took me by surprise when it came out in 2001 as the lead single for hisThe Saga Continuesalbum.
The jarring guitar riff that permeates the entire track was by Janes Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. In my opinion, he is the star of the show on this track. This song was a massive commercial success for Diddy. On a side note, it also featured guest appearances from Robb Black and Marc Curry. If you get the chance to check out the official music video that features Ben Stiller, watch it because it’s loads of fun.
3
Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down (feat. Mase)“Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” featuring the rapper Mase, is easily one ofDiddy’s biggest hit songs. It’s from his very successful debut studio album,No Way Out, in 1997. The instrumental uses samples from the classic Hip-Hop song “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, and the Furious Five. Although I don’t usually like that type of sample lifting, I thought they did an understated job here.
P-Diddy gave his protégé at the time, Mase, a chance to shine and show his undeniable skills on this track. I always thought it sounded like Mase was mumbling. Maybe he was a couple of decades ahead of his time? This is one of thebest Diddy tracks, bar none.
4
It’s All About The Benjamins (Remix)When Puffy started rapping on tracks, I was initially surprised at how hard his rhymes were. They were probably written by Biggie or another cohort, but even Dr. Dre has a team of ghostwriters. The remix version of “It’s All About The Benjamins” is now a Hip-Hop classic that can hold its own with any other street rap from that time.
It was a single from his debut album in 1997. However, the remix version was more Hip-Hop when compared to the Rock Music flavor of the album cut. The remix had several cameos from rappers such asLil Kim, The Lox, Biggie Smalls, and even Missy Elliot. Both versions of the track are great, so I recommend that you listen to them both.
5
Been Around The World (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase)“Been Around The World” featured both Biggie Smalls and Mase, who are probably Puffy’s most famous protégés. It uses a sample from the amazing “Let’s Dance” track by David Bowie. As well as a re-sung chorus from Lisa Stansfield’s “All Around The World.”
This was another track from his debut album in 1997. That was a good year for the artist for both album and single sales. However, the song was released in 1998.
It reached #2 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US and did incredibly well all around the world; excuse the pun. It was even listed in the Top 20 songs on the Billboard charts for all of 1998. The music video is also lots of fun. Multiple famous people make cameos in it, so you need to check that out on YouTube.
6
I Need a Girl Part-1 (feat. Usher & Loon)The R&B flavors on “I Need a Girl Part-1” featuring Usher and Loon make you want to dance your life away. It’s smooth, sensual, and has a very nice vibe. It was from hisThe Saga Continuesalbum. The single came out in February 2000 and even reached #2 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts and #4 on the UK Pop Charts, so it was a massive commercial success.
There is a “Part-2” that features Loon, Ginuwine, and Mario Wines. Some fans might think it’s better than the original version, but not in my opinion. If I was you, I would start with “Part-1” before you bother with the second part.
7
Come with Me (feat. Jimmy Page)“Come with Me” features famous Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page who plays the ball-bashing hook. It excellently merges both Hip-Hop and Rock, as many others have done in the past. But, for some reason, this one sounds different in a very good way. If you don’t already know, this comes from thesoundtrack to the 1998Godzillamotion picture.
It did massively well across most charts in North America and Europe, peaking at #4 on the Hot 100 Billboard charts. I love the Heavy Rock vibe of the instrumental. At the time, it was a real banger.
8
Last Night (feat. Keyshia Cole)Most of the tracks on this list of the best Diddy songs of all time are from the late-1990s and early 2000s. That was essentially thebest time for Diddy as a rap artist. However, “Last Night” was from his 2006Press Playalbum. Here’s a fun fact. The track was also placed on Keyshia Cole’s second studio album,Just Like You,in 2007. So, the song features on two LPs.
Diddy’s commercial popularity as a rapper was waning at the time. But, this track still reached the Top 10 of the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US and did quite well across the board. It was a softer song than what we usually heard from Diddy, showing his more emotional side.
9
Come To Me (feat. Nicole Scherzinger)“Come to Me” featured Nicole Scherzinger of puss*cat Dolls fame and also from his 2006Press Playalbum. Diddy is always at his best when he collaborates with other artists. And this venture is no different. It didn’t do so well on a commercial level. Reaching #25 on the Hot 100 Billboard charts, which was low at the time for any of his songs.
The truth is that times were changing. Yet, “Come to Me” did very well in digital music sales and charted quite high on the US Hot Billboard Digital Songs chart, so it wasn’t a washout. It might not have sold so well, but it’s a very well-produced song that is underrated right across the board.
10
Tell Me (feat. Christina Aguilera)Last but not least, “Tell Me” featured Pop superstar Christina Aguilera and is one of his best collaboration tracks. It was produced by Just Blaze and was released as a single in November 2006. Diddy’s verse was written by Royce da 5’9” and was pretty impressive by all accounts.
The club song vibes ensured this was heavily played on a night out. Although it didn’t match some of Diddy’s earlier songs, it still performed fairly well in the charts considering the changing times.
11
Hate Me Now (feat. Nas) by Diddy12
Hello Good Morning (feat. T.I. & Rick Ross) by Diddy13
Mo Money Mo Problems (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase) by Diddy14
Victory (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes) by Diddy15
Angels (feat. The Notorious B.I.G.) by Diddy16
Satisfy You (feat. R. Kelly) by Diddy17
I Don’t Wanna Know (feat. Mario Winans) by Diddy18
Shake Ya Tailfeather (with Nelly & Murphy Lee) by Diddy19
Love Come Down (feat. Dirty Money & Dirty Money) by Diddy20
All About the Money (feat. Rick Ross) by Diddy21
Special Delivery (Remix) by Diddy22
Blast Off (with David Guetta) by Diddy23
Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down (Remix) (feat. Mase & Ma$e) by Diddy24
Auction (feat. Lil’ Kim, Styles P, and King Los) by Diddy25
You Could Be My Lover (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Gizzle) by Diddy26
Big Homie (feat. Rick Ross & French Montana) by Diddy27
The Saga Continues (feat. Jadakiss) by Diddy28
After Love (feat. Keri Hilson) by Diddy29
Angels Calling (feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Rick Ross, and Dirty Money) by Diddy30
Workin (feat. Travis Scott & Big Sean) by Diddy31
Young G’s (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Jay-Z) by Diddy32
Do You Like It…Do You Want It (feat. Jay-Z) by Diddy33
Through the Pain (She Told Me) (feat. Mario Winans) by Diddy34
Partners for Life (feat. Jamie Foxx) by Diddy35
Dance with Me (with Faith Evans) by Diddy36
The DJ Rocks (feat. The Notorious B.I.G.) by Diddy37
Yesterday (feat. Chris Brown) by Diddy38
The Future (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) by Diddy39
It’s All Over (feat. Carl Thomas & G. Dep) by Diddy40
Press Play (feat. Christina Aguilera) by Diddy41
American Dreamin’ (feat. Jay-Z) by Diddy42
Hypnotize U (with N.E.R.D.) by Diddy43
Loving You No More (feat. Drake) by Diddy44
Everything I Love (feat. Nas & Cee-Lo) by Diddy45
Shake It (feat. Elephant Man) by Diddy46
We Gon’ Make It (feat. Styles P) by Diddy47
Lonely (with Dina Rae) by Diddy48
Diddy Rock (feat. Timbaland, Twista, & Shawnna) by Diddy49
Dirty Money Strobe Lights (feat. Lil Wayne) by Diddy50
The King (with Faith Evans & Busta Rhymes) by DiddyNeed to Add More Hip-Hop and Rap to Your Music Library?
We can help, so check out our thoughts on theBest 90s Hip Hop Songs, theBest 2000s Rap Songs, theBest Rap Songs About Money of All Time, theBest Sad Rap Songs, and theBest Hip Hop Songs Of All Timefor more banging and bouncing song selections.
Best Diddy Songs of All Time – Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest; if Diddy thought for one second that he could make a load of cash by rapping again and bringing out a new album, he would. Unfortunately, times have changed. And Rap Music has always been a younger man’s game. I am not saying that Puff Daddy won’t release another album, but it’s probably not going to happen.
Puff Daddy’s best songs of all timewere largely Hip-Hop tracks from the later 1990s. Although, he did have some success throughout the 2000s. It was good while it lasted, and he’s left some incredible music for us to enjoy for eternity. So, fair play to him.
Until next time, happy listening.
