Simplicity can surely not be overrated. Whether that is what rapper P. Diddy is thinking, who knows? E!Online News reports the notorious rapper Sean Combs, a.k.a. Puff Daddy, a.k.a. P. Diddy, has decided to shorten his name to just “Diddy.”
“I felt like the ‘P’ was getting between me and my fans and now we’re closer,” Diddy told E!Online. “During concerts, half the crowd is saying ‘P. Diddy’–half the crowd is chanting ‘Diddy’–now everybody can just chant ‘Diddy.’ ”
Ah so, it was an identity crisis! Of course, there always is the possibility that he really didn’t like being called “P.” I can’t say as I blame him.
I can empathize with the fact people don’t know how to address him. I felt the same way about the late rapper Old Dirty Bastard. I always felt fortunate that I never had to interview him because I didn’t know whether I should address him as “Mr. Bastard,” “Mr. Dirty Bastard,” “Mr. Old Dirty Bastard,” “Old,” “Dirty,” “Bastard,” or “ODB.”
The artist formerly known as Sean Combs has apparently decided that he is sufficiently famous (and pretentious) that he can be known by one name and one name only, such as Prince or Madonna or Cher or Liberace or Lucifer. I congratulate Diddy on his new name. I bet it saves like a nanosecond of time to write your name on an envelope.
Could it be in the offing that he might eventually shorten his moniker even more, say to “Did,” or even “dy?” Stay tuned. And breathe.