If anyone can change their name two times, it’s Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, formerly the rapper known as Puff Daddy.

Diddy is admired for his creative genius, though changing his name to “P. Diddy” didn’t exactly earn him a Nobel Prize. And for the record, he didn’t even give himself the moniker of P. Diddy. That feat belongs to Notorious B.I.G., who called Combs by that name before he died.

So now take three: as reported in recent weeks, Pappa Diddy Pop is changing his name one more time.

Why? “Because I can,” he reportedly said. That answer, filled with cockiness and perhaps a pinch of arrogance, deserves respect.

So what’s the man going to come up with? Here’s his chance to shock the world, come up with something fresh, advance the rap game further perhaps, amaze those who are ready to be amazed, magnify the potential of a nickname, but most importantly, move past the lack of success he has had with P. Diddy.

As Puff Daddy, he was the biggest name in hip hop. Anything he touched ? his material or the tracks of other rappers ? turned to gold (well, platinum). As Sean Combs, his Sean John label makes him millions upon millions every year. But as P. Diddy, he has not had the success of his two other aliases. His albums haven’t flopped but they failed to reach the level ? both in quality and through sales? of his Puffy albums.

So the next step in the career of Sean Combs:

Diddy.

That wasn’t a typo. The big dramatic name change is dropping the P, and the period that comes after that letter (and the space that follows before the “D”).

All this buildup (note: there has been little buildup), all this suspense (no suspense), all this mystery (nobody really noticed actually)?and Diddy is the best he can come up with?

Diddy is scheduled to host the MTV VMAs this month, and advertisements have been saying, simply, that the awards will be hosted by “Diddy.”

Little-to-no adjustment is needed. Record stores, no need to re-file.

There was no announcement of the name change; it just sort of happened.

And we should have noticed months ago.

At the end of March, in an interview with andPOP, Diddy was asked to give a drop. “Hey this is Diddy,” he said, “and you’re checking out andPOP.”

We know he was rushed and had many more things to do before heading out of town, but didn’t he have time to say “P.” in addition to the “Diddy?”

Now it makes sense. He wasn’t lazy or rushed. Just creatively frustrated.






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