Puff Daddy celebrates birthday by releasing free music

NEW YORK — It may be Puff Daddy’s birthday, but the music mogul is giving out the gifts: The rapper is planning to release free music today (Nov 4).

Puff Daddy, born Sean Combs, debuted new music late yesterday in New York City and announced that a mixtape called MMM would be available for free at 7am Eastern (8pm, Singapore time).

He is calling the project “a sonic motion picture” and songs include collaborations with Lil Kim, Future, Wiz Khalifa, Jadakiss, French Montana and others.

“Before I used to make records when I made my music. Then I decided to make culture. And as I got older, I decided I’m going to make fashion. Ladies and gentlemen, listen and watch some fashion,” Combs told the audience of music industry insiders as well as producer-rapper Swizz Beatz and Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid.

The MMM artwork features a 1999 photo, taken by Annie Leibovitz, of Combs in Paris with Kate Moss.

Combs turned 46 today. Yesterday’s night event spilled over to this morning and the crowd wished the Grammy winner a happy birthday.

The entrepreneur, who grew up in Harlem, New York, says the new music looks back to his roots. Styles P, Pusha T, Big Sean, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla Sign and King Los are also featured on MMM, which will be available on Spotify and Apple Music.

“This is free everywhere,” he said, “that’s the beauty about this project for an artist like myself and somebody that’s worked so hard to be successful and understand what’s going on right now and to embrace it and to learn so much.”

Combs also announced that his next album, No Way Out 2, will be his final album when it is released next year. AP