Word: hip-hop
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...words of fellow rapper Mase, "Now Puff rules the world." Sean "Puffy" Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, is arguably the biggest figure in hip-hop today. His success is not just limited to his performing; Puff Daddy has also taken a behind-the-scenes role in the music industry and, in the process, has profoundly influenced black culture. Some critics have even gone as far as calling him the Elvis Presley of our decade...
...after landing a job there at 19. Today, the 26-year-old is founder and CEO of BadBoy Entertainment, the record label through which, it seems, anyone who wants to make it big must go. The Bad-Boy family which he fathered includes the biggest names out in the hip-hop world, names like Li'l Kim, Mase and the late Notorious B. I. G. Even those not on his record label are clamoring to get a piece; Puff Daddy has produced hits with Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes and others...
...perhaps even more impressive are the recent appearances he has made outside of the hip-hop arena. Of late, Puffy has shown great interest in the sports and entertainment world at large. He has become a licensed NFL agent, wooing last season's Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson. He is also working on an upcoming movie looking at professional football management which he will star--in and perhaps even produce--alongside Al Pacino...
Puffy appears to have it all. But he has more than just the rare combination of youth, fame, wealth and black skin-in the hip-hop industry, there are plenty of personalities who fit that bill. What makes Puffy a phenomenon is that in a society where blacks have historically been lauded (and exploited) for their musical talents, they have rarely been allowed to run things. Puffy, however, has taken over...
...does Puffy's authority really lie beyond in the hip-hop world? His label is owned by Arista Records which in turn is run by BMG Entertainment, very much a part of white corporate America. Even in scenarios where black successes and authority exist, their achievements are still limited by the institutions of white America. The fact that there are no black NFL team owners demonstrates these limits as well. In cinema, Debbie Allan had to push for ten years until she could get the backing of Steven Spielberg to produce Amistad. Moreover, Puffy's success has depended...