In hindsight people will use whatever they can to throw mud at puff. Especially if the artist ends up in a f*cked up predicament because of their own personal decisions, ego and addiction problems.
Y’all got to remember when Black Rob signed to Badboy In the mid 90s, Badboy was the Chicago bulls of rap! If you was an artist from New York at that time, you was going to badboy. For a guy like Black Rob to even get a chance to be on the roster at the time Big was bout to release his sophomore was a blessing. Also Puff was getting demos and auditions from thousands of young cats trying to join that team. The Lox joined as a group and Mase as a solo rapper. Black Rob joining the mob put him in a privileged position to get noticed and be recognized as a lyricist, rapping with the best of the best from the biggest label on the east coast and hot 97 at the time.
So Big passes, the gameplan turns jiggy, Puff and Mase become stars. Puff still put Rob on the “I love you baby” joint off no way out which got mad play in the tunnel. That kept the street buzz for Rob blossoming.
1998 comes around Puff double downs on RnB at a time where rap selling all time high. Rob album is done but he release “you don’t know me” as a single but doesn’t get the bang hes looking forward for, summer of 99 they release “I dare you” which keeps the hype going and people asking for Rob album. Puff puts out his own album, Mase album and the Biggie born again album and then boom top of 2000 “whoa” hits the street like a earthquake.
Life Story gets 4.5 mics in the source arguably the most cohesive put together badboy project since biggies life after death and it goes multi platinum.
Puff did the shoot out and trial and then released 2001 the saga continues where Rob is all over the project. Puff was even going to make an joint album with Dep and Black Rob called 3 the hard way, since they all from Harlem. They had mad songs together on the Tony toca and clue tapes and that “godfather” unreleased joint was a smash.
This keeps his name out there and sets him up for the Rob Report which didn’t come until 2004 due to Rob’s incarcerations.
When it comes down to an artist work ethic or their personal life, that ain’t puff’s fault. Rob was set up for success but didn’t capitalize.
You don’t know me (99)
I dare you (99)
Whoa (00)
Espacio(00)
Let’s get it (2001)
badboy for life (2001)
Star in the hood (2005)