Diddy releasing new album! Follow up to Press Play coming soon!

NEW YORK (Billboard) - It's good to be Diddy.

Musician, entrepreneur, actor and label executive Sean "Diddy" Combs has ruled the U.S. pop album chart for the past two weeks with a pair of acts from his Bad Boy label.

First, girl group Danity Kane's second album went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the week ended March 23; the following week, it was bounced from the top by labelmate Day26, a new male R&B quintet. Both are products of Combs' MTV "Making the Band" talent show.

That's not all of Combs' good fortune though. A new album from singer/model Cassie is due in June, and he just announced his newest signing, Janelle Monae -- "the most important of my career." Combs is also about to head into the studio to record the follow-up to 2006's "Press Play," which has sold more than 1,200,000 copies.

Meanwhile, on March 27, the Los Angeles Times printed a retraction on an earlier story that implicated Combs and others in an assault on Tupac Shakur; documents used to support the story turned out to be falsified, and Combs' vehement denials were vindicated.

And perhaps best of all for Combs is the May 2 unveiling of his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. "I'm from Harlem," he says. "Maybe you can grow up and dream of winning a Grammy or even an Oscar. But a star in Hollywood? You just don't think you're going to be out there putting your feet in the cement, you know?"

BILLBOARD: YOU HAVE TWO WEEKS OF BACK-TO-BACK NO. 1 ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200 FROM TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS. DID YOU EXPECT THIS KIND OF SUCCESS FROM DANITY KANE AND DAY26?

Combs: I didn't know really what to expect. I felt that Danity Kane would have a strong follow-up -- I didn't really know that the new group would be as well-received as they have been. The miracle about both these groups is if you look at their radio play and radio pitch -- and their video pitch is just starting -- this is really coming off the strength of their fan bases. The sky is still the limit as far as growth potential for both of these groups.

WITH POP-ORIENTED ACTS, WHAT DO YOU DO TO REALLY MOBILIZE THAT BASE ON DAY ONE?

I think we really galvanize the support from the television show, from people following this dream. The album is really the payoff as their dream comes true. It's (also) utilizing the online community, which is extremely strong, and making sure they are thoroughly informed.

I think that consumers want, at the time they are discovering the artists, falling in love with them, to get a chance to buy that album.

WE'VE SPOKEN IN THE PAST ABOUT THE INTENSITY THAT YOU BRING TO AN ALBUM RELEASE.

For me, it's about dotting every "I" and crossing every "T," making sure we're getting maximum exposure . . . I think I have certain relationships (that can help) -- whether to call the Jimmy Kimmel show or whether to call MTV and BET people that I know. I don't abuse my relationships. If I feel like I have something special that will be beneficial for them, then I make the call. Because there are also times when people need my support. It's been a two-way street.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME THAT REALITY TV ACTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY CAREER ARTISTS.

I think Danity Kane is showing that you can be. These two groups are really embracing the new way to break an artist. You've seen it from Miley Cyrus, or "American Idol," or "Making the Band." Using television has been a great vehicle, online has been a great vehicle, and breaking in the clubs and that buzz is still always a great way to do it.

I think that it's a new time and a new age, and I think that what maybe 20 years ago wouldn't be cool -- now everybody's trying to get a television show.

WHAT ELSE DOES BAD BOY HAVE COMING UP?

We have a new artist Janelle Monae -- we're really breaking her in the underground so it has that infectious buzz to it. It's the sound of her voice, her approach to records, her energy, her performance -- she's something I've never seen before, I've never seen the package delivered like that. We've seen a Mary J. Blige develop, we've seen an Andre 3000 develop -- this girl is coming at that level, you know what I'm saying? She's without a doubt the most important signing of my career.

AND CASSIE'S RECORD IS COMING.

That's going to really, really catch people off guard. There's a huge (cry) out there for a younger Britney Spears, a younger Janet Jackson. Those two great artists have paved the way. She has a single out called "Official Girl" and Danja produced it, and it is a smash.

SHE'S GROWN FROM HER LAST ALBUM, WHEN THE TWO OF YOU USED VIRAL VIDEO TO APOLOGIZE FOR HER POOR PERFORMANCE ON A RADIO SHOW.

I just don't think she was ready. I think that we threw her into the spotlight without the artist development -- that goes on with a lot of new artists. We pulled out, we took our time, we developed her for like, a year-and-a-half. People are just going to see her there and be like, "Wow, she's really cocooned into a butterfly."

WHAT ABOUT YOUR OWN MUSIC?

I'm just going into creative mode. I want to do something that's totally different. It's one of the first times in my life that I can go in without a plan and just create sounds and create melodies and see what comes of it . . . I feel like I've totally proven myself, and now as an artist, I can take that pressure off and have some fun. I'm about to go in the studio in two weeks.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THE L.A. TIMES RETRACTION?

I'll just stick by my statement (describing the original story as "beyond ridiculous and completely false"). It just goes to show you how many times people rush their judgment -- and the L.A. Times is not the only one that's doing it out there. There are a lot of things that you hear about people or artists or celebrities, and by the time it's on the Internet, people just assume it's true. I'm thankful that the truth was able to come out.[b]
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