Forever (Puff Daddy album)

Forever
Studio album by Puff Daddy
Released	August 24, 1999
Recorded	1998-1999
Genre	East Coast hip hop, pop rap
Length	73:49
Label	Bad Boy, Arista
Producer	Sean "Puffy" Combs (exec.), The Hitmen (also exec.)
Puff Daddy chronology
No Way Out (1997)No Way Out1997 Forever (1999) The Saga Continues... (2001)The Saga Continues...2001
Singles from Forever
"Satisfy You" Released: October 13, 1999

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly	B−
Los Angeles Times
Robert Christgau	C+
Rolling Stone	unfavorable
USA Today

Forever is the debut solo studio album (and second overall) by American rapper and producer Puff Daddy released on August 24, 1999 in North America by Bad Boy Records, with a release in the United Kingdom the following day.

Forever received generally favorable to mixed reviews from most music critics, directed at the heavy use of sampling in Combs' work, as well as commercially changing hip-hop music simultaneously, which caused controversy at the time. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. To date, the album has received positive to mixed reviews from music critics, and has spawned three singles that have attained Billboard chart success. In late 1999, Forever was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping over one million units in North America.

Background and production

The album comes nearly two years after Combs joint collaboration album, No Way Out, which opened 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 had sampled "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin, and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart, whilst stalling at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He was also obligated to star as Willie Beamen in the motion picture, Any Given Sunday, the role however went to Jamie Foxx.

Recording for Combs' debut album began in the summer of 1998, and would commence the following year.

Chart performance

The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number two, selling an estimated 205,000 copies in its first week sales, while topping the R&B Albums chart at number one. In the UK, the album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. In Canada, the album opened at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Combs' highest charting album. To date, the album has sold 1.4 million copies worldwide.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Forever (Intro)"		Sean "Puffy" Combs and Mario Winans for The Hitmen	1:51
2.	"What You Want"		Zach White	4:30
3.	"I'll Do This for You" (featuring Kelly Price)		Sean "Puffy" Combs, Mario Winans and Ron Lawrence for The Hitmen	5:00
4.	"Do You Like It... Do You Want It..." (featuring Jay-Z)		Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool for The Hitmen	3:54
5.	"Satisfy You" (featuring R. Kelly)		Sean "Puffy" Combs and Jeffrey "J-Dub" Walker for The Hitmen	4:48
6.	"Is This the End (Part 2)" (featuring Twista)		Sean "Puffy" Combs and Dent for The Hitmen	4:40
7.	"I Hear Voices" (featuring Carl Thomas)		Sean "Puffy" Combs, Nashiem Myrick and Carlos "6 July" Broady for The Hitmen	5:14
8.	"Fake Thugs Dedication" (featuring Redman)		Sean "Puffy" Combs for the Hitmen	3:13
9.	"Diddy Speaks! (Interlude)"		Sean "Puffy" Combs for The Hitmen	1:11
10.	"Angels with Dirty Faces" (featuring Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)		Sean "Puffy" Combs and Ron Lawrence for The Hitmen	4:10
11.	"Gangsta Shit" (featuring Lil' Kim and Mark Curry)		Sean "Puffy" Combs and Mario Winans for The Hitmen	4:42
12.	"P.S. 112 (Interlude)"		Harve "Joe Hooker" Pierre	0:59
13.	"Pain" (featuring G-Dep)		Sean "Puffy" Combs, Nashiem Myrick and Carlos "6 July" Broady for The Hitmen	3:56
14.	"Reverse" (featuring G-Dep, Sauce Money, Shyne, Busta Rhymes, Redman and Cee-Lo Green)		Nashiem Myrick and Carlos "6 July" Broady for The Hitmen	5:07
15.	"Real Niggas" (featuring Lil' Kim and The Notorious B.I.G.)		Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie for The Hitmen	4:01
16.	"Journey Through the Life" (featuring Lil' Kim, Joe Hooker, Beanie Sigel and Nas)		Sean "Puffy" Combs, Nashiem Myrick, & Carlos "6 July" Broady for The Hitmen	4:55
17.	"Best Friend" (featuring Mario Winans)		Sean "Puffy" Combs, Mario Winans for The Hitmen	5:32
18.	"Mad Rapper (Interlude)" (featuring The Madd Rapper)		Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie for The Hitmen	1:14
19.	"P.E. 2000" (featuring Hurricane G)		Sean "Puffy" Combs for The Hitmen	4:52

Sample credits

• "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" written by Ricky Walters as performed by Slick Rick.
• "Real Niggas" contains a sample of "Real Niggaz" written by Christopher Wallace as performed by The Notorious B.I.G.

Charts and certifications

Chart

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Australian Album Chart	17
Canadian Albums Chart	4
French Albums Chart	14
German Album Chart	4
Netherlands Album Chart	26
Swedish Album Chart	40
Swiss Album Chart	7
UK Albums Chart	9
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1
US Billboard 200	2

Certifications

Country	Certification (sales thresholds)
United States	Platinum (RIAA)
United Kingdom	Silver (BPI)

Singles

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

See also

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

References