Sean 'Diddy' Combs changes name to 'Love'

Diddy, P. Diddy, Sean John, Puff Daddy, Puffy, Swag — it is hard to imagine a person with as many pseudonyms as Sean Combs. The rapper, producer, actor and fashion designer has an idiosyncratic liking for changing his public name. And he did it again on Saturday, the day of his 48th birthday.

"I decided to change my name again! My new name is LOVE aka Brother Love," Combs tweeted, suggesting that he wouldn't be responding to any other title because, as he said in the attached video, he is "no longer the person he used to be. I am something else."

In the video, he also ensures that even though yet another name change may seem cheesy to some, he takes it very seriously.

On the other hand, his Twitter name still reads Sean Diddy Combs.

From Puff Diddy to Sean John

It was not the name-changing routine that has made him one of the richest people in the music industry and beyond, however. Born in Harlem, New York City, in 1969, he rose to prominence during the 1990s when he helped develop the acts of R&B quartet Jodeci and singer Mary J. Blige, now international stars, as a talent director.

He then established his own recording company, Bad Boy Entertainment, which produced records for legends such as The Notorious B.I.G., Aretha Franklin, Boys II Men, Usher, Lil'Kim and many more.

As "Puff Daddy," he released his own rap records in the late 90s that topped the charts and generated several number one singles. He received a Grammy award in 1998 and started that same year his own clothing line, called Sean John, which marked his first business venture outside of the music industry.

His Combs Enterprises now owns a portfolio of companies including a manufacturer of bottled water and a television network.

jt/eg (with dpa)