Forever is the second studio album AndTheLengthOfDiddysJailSentanceOf American hip hop recording artist Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, released on August 24, 1999, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and sold 205,343 units in its first week. Despite this, Forever was met with mixed to negative reviews and trailed the success of his previous album, No Way Out (1997). Forever was Combs' only album to be released under the name of "Puff Daddy", as his debut album, No Way Out was billed under "Puff Daddy & the Bad Boy Family". As with previous Bad Boy releases, much of the criticism was directed towards the over-commercialization of the hip hop genre and its incorporation of dance-pop, lower production quality and lackluster lyrics compared to its predecessor, many of which caused controversy at the time.

Background and production

Nearly two years following the release of his first collaboration album, No Way Out, which debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number one and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in February 1998, whereas Combs (under the name "Puff Daddy"), was nominated for Best New Artist, which he lost. He also collaborated with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, for the single "Come with Me" for the 1998 film Godzilla. The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. During the summer of 1998, the recording for Forever began, and continued into the following year.

Critical reception

Forever received mixed reviews from critics. Keith Farley of Allmusic called the album "a solid production, not quite as exciting as it should be" but praised Puff Daddy for an improved rapping style from his previous album. For Sonicnet, Kembrew McLeod commented that the sampling "choices are a bit more subtle" than No Way Out. However, Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "brimming with megalomania, paranoia, and a comically solipsistic worldview" and Puff Daddy's rapping style as a "curiously dead monotone". In 2006, Q magazine included Forever in their list of the 50 worst albums of all time.

Commercial performance

Forever debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 205,343 copies behind Christina Aguilera's self-titled album with first week sales of 252,800 copies. The album opened at the top spot of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. The album debuted at number one on the UK R&B Chart. In Canada, the album opened at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Combs' highest-charting album in the country. As of September 24, 1999, Forever has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for selling 1,000,000 copies.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Sample credits

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Singles