Diddy has had an illustrious career in the music business over the last three decades, and now he’s been chosen to receive the Global Icon Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
According to Billboard, Mr. Bad Boy himself will receive the prestigious award on the VMAs stage at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on September 12.
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Puff will also perform at the awards show, marking his first VMAs performance since 2005 when he participated in an orchestral tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. alongside Snoop Dogg.
The Harlem-bred mogul has four nominations at this year’s VMAs, including Best Hip Hop Song for “Gotta Move On (Queens Remix)” with Bryson Tiller, Ashanti and Yung Miami, and Best R&B Song for his appearance on Metro Boomin’s “Creepin’ (Remix),” which also features The Weeknd and 21 Savage.
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Both tracks are also in contention for Best Collaboration.
Diddy isn’t the only rap star that will grace the stage that night as Lil Wayne and Doja Cat have also been handpicked to perform.
The Global Icon Award announcement comes on the heels of a busy spell for the Bad Boy founder. Earlier this month, he made headlines for returning the lucrative publishing rights to former artists such as Ma$e, The LOX, Faith Evans, 112 and the estate of Biggie.
Diddy was reportedly offered “nine figures” for the catalogs, but turned down the massive payday and chose instead to revert the publishing rights back to the artists.
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“We’re told the rationale for this boils down to wanting to revolutionize the industry with this to empower artists and to switch up the dynamic — which has been a certain way for a long time,” TMZ said. “As part of his legacy, Diddy’s hoping to enrich others in his community.”
Additionally, Puff recently revealed the stellar cast of fellow musicians on his upcoming project The Love Album: Off the Grid.
The 23-track offering will boast appearances from the likes of The Weeknd, 21 Savage, French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Justin Bieber, Swae Lee, Fabolous and Burna Boy.
Given that it is being billed as Puff’s first fully R&B offering, the album will also feature the distinct voices of Mary J. Blige, John Legend, The-Dream, Babyface, Ty Dolla $ign and Jazmine Sullivan, among others.
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Fans can even expect a Diddy – Dirty Money reunion on a track called “Deliver Me,” which features himself, Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper. The group disbanded back in 2012 following the release of their first and only album Last Train to Paris.
The Love Album: Off the Grid will serve as Diddy’s first solo album since 2006’s Press Play, and first full-length project since his 2015 mixtape MMM (Money Making Mitch).
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It will be released on September 15 via Love Records, the R&B-focused label he launched in partnership with Motown last year.
