[Puff Daddy & The Family]

Released in 1997 just four months after the death of the Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy's first studio album, No Way Out, sold half a million copies in its first week.

Puff Daddy had worked alongside the Notorious B.I.G. in the development of the album, but following B.I.G.'s murder the tone of the record saw a marked change in direction. Puff Daddy emotional state moved him to employ more introspective lyrics, which he laid on top of a more stripped-down, raw production.

"The Family" refers to the over one dozen other Bad Boy Records artists featured on the album, including The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Mase, Lil' Kim, Carl Thomas, Jay-Z, Black Rob, The LOX, Ginuwine, Twista, Foxy Brown, Faith Evans, and 112.

Hugely successful singles from No Way Out include "I'll Be Missing You" (the first ever rap song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100), "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "Been Around the World", and "It's All About the Benjamins". The commercial and critical success of the album earned Puff Daddy that year's Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

With nearly 10 million copies sold, Puff Daddy & The Family's No Way Out remains Sean Comb's best selling album, and is widely considered to be the quintessential classic '90s rap album.

The plaque offered here was a gift to Kate Ferguson, Editor-in-Chief of Word Up! and Rap Masters magazines, both entertainment publications geared towards Black American teenagers.

Provenance: From the personal collection of Kate Ferguson

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