P. Diddy & Bad Boy Records Present... - P Diddy & Bad Boy Records Present: We Invented the Remix

Don't believe the hype: Bad Boy Records did not invent the remix, the company has just done a good job using it. But the past is the past. Don't come here if you're looking for Puffy's earlier groundbreaking work with the likes of Jodeci and Super Cat. The "hits" here are of a more recent vintage, and if these remixes are any indication, it seems Diddy has reached the bottom of his bag of tricks. Screeching bells, Ghostface Killah, and the return of the MacK (Craig Mack) give G. Dep's "Special Delivery" (from last year's Child of the Ghetto) that hyped Bad Boy flavor of yore, but it's all downhill from there. Lines like "We used to drive the whole city wild" make listening to "I Need a Girl," Puffy's maudlin ode to ex-squeeze J. Lo, a cringe-inducing experience, and the producer-rapper's painfully weak rhyme ruins Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama." Most disturbing is Puffy's crass opportunism: Biggie's "voice from the grave" duet with Ashanti (on "Unfoolish") is downright creepy and ultimately unnecessary. --Rebecca Levine Amazon.com

Nothing but Heat

Don't listen to the other reviwers on this site, if you enjoy remix's and enjoy the work of Puff then you'll like this CD. Diddy has been doing hot remix's since his day at uptown. The Real Love remix which introduced us to a young Biggie Smalls is a classic. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs isn't your standard remixer. He doesn't just alter the beats of his songs; he re-writes his songs -- new beats, new vocalists, new lyrics, new everything. Of course, Combs doesn't actually do this himself. Rather, he outsources the work to his roster of producers (the Hit Men) and some of the biggest names in urban music. Stand out songs on this on include I Need A Girl Parts 1 & 2, Special Delivery and Dance With Me b/w Peaches & Cream. While I would've remixed Peachers & Cream into a slow jam this is still another catchy album from the Bad Boy Camp. December 14, 2006

P Did dy. Honestly. What the **** is wrong with this guy and the radio pop rap of today?

There used to be a time when rap was not synonymous with the likes of Hillary Duff. No longer is that true, if you call this rap. Puff wasn't that good to begin with, and I never owned any of his cds but I knew of him...anyway, by the time I heard he changed his name to PDiddy, I about laughed until I pissed myself.

(...) March 9, 2006

yeah

this cd is pretty good, but theres only two songs that i would consider classic material

and they are!!!!....



1. that's crazy remix- tons of verses, and its hilarious



2. special delivery remix- too good for words just amazing November 28, 2005

What more can I say? It's Diddy

So this is what the onetime flagship of the east coast has to offer us. a bunch of remix's with washed up rappers(Craig Mack comes to mind). Hip hop turned pop. BIG gotta be spinnin in his f***in' grave. Knowing he use to roll with this sellout b**ch puffy. Jackin' beats, spittin other ni**as verses, rappin about his wealth. Everything about this ni**a is wrong. He's not even talented, just ridin a dead rapper's street cred. F*** badboy for life. July 30, 2005

A Piece Of Remix Paradise

The remix can be a very dangerous tool if used in the wrong hands; many remixer's have a habits of either (1) changing the original into something we don't like anymore, or (2) changing it so little that we don't even see why they bothered. Some remix equal the original, like J. Lo and Ja Rule's "I'm Real" (Murder Remix); a select few surpass them, like 'N Sync's "Girlfriend" (Neptunes Remix feat. Nelly); but most a major dissapointments. P. Diddy may not have "invented" the remix, but his "P Diddy & Bad Boy Records Present: We Invented the Remix" demonstates his mastery of it. All the tracks aren't in the same league, yet it doesn't mattter too much because there are a number of really good ones and the album flows well as a whole. Part of it's success is the fact that it has remixes from multiple artists on the Bad Boy label; thus at times it feels more like a compilation than a remix album. Two of the most notable selections are the remixes of "I Need A Girl (To Bella)"; both singles surpass the original cut:
- P. Diddy feat. Ginuwine, Loon, Mario Winans & Tammy Ruggieri "I Need A Girl Part II" A-. A terrific R&B/rap track with a positive tone to it. Five artists may seem like too many, but everyone is giving a good amount of time to create this blissful track off one of the few remix albums that doesn't suck.
- P.Diddy feat. Usher & Loon "I Need A Girl Part I". A-. For a change from most music, Parts I & II are actually different! Part II may be the more involving one, but this part still has a whole lot of charisma and likability to it. Another entry in for the era of positive hip-hop (almost R&B).
Although it is a little odd that "Part II" comes before "Part I". Unfortunetly, in between these two wonderful songs is the album's low point: the "Bad Boy For Life" (Remix feat. Busta Rhymes and M.O.P.). The original version wasn't great, but it had a rough edge to its fragmented beat. This version takes that edge and drives it into the ground by destroying the entire beat and taking away part of the meaning. But the album does enter more great heights; one being Ashanti's "Unfoolish" (feat. the Notorious B.I.G.). It is a clever take on "Foolish" as it shows the flip side to the song, and contain's some chilling raps from Biggie. 112's "Peaches & Cream" (Remix feat. Ludacris)is another highlight; as Ludacris' breezy guest verse mends perfectly with 112's blissful lyrics. The song flows so perfectly that we get caught up, even during the explicit content. Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" (Remix feat. P. Diddy) and "Notorious B.I.G." (Remix feat. P. Diddy and Lil' Kim) are also catchy, fun counterparts to their originals.
Bottom Line: ***. This is quite an entertaining album, which join's Jennifer Lopez' "J To Tha L-O Remixes" as a good remix album. The album functions perfectly as a non-stop party, and is loaded with fun and skill. This isn't a great disc, but it is a very entertaining one that shows why P. Diddy is a modern "Jack Of All Trades'.



April 2, 2005

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