Before releasing his first solo album, Puff Daddy (aka Sean "Puffy" Combs) was famous as the producer of the Notorious B.I.G., Junior Mafia, Craig Mack, Lil' Kim, and many other rappers. As he was making his solo debut, the Notorious B.I.G. was murdered, and that loss weighs heavily on Puff's mind throughout No Way Out. Even though the album has some funky party jams scattered throughout, the bulk of the album is filled with fear, sorrow, and anger, and it's not only evident on the tribute "I'll Be Missing You" (a duet with Faith Evans and 112 that is based on the Police's "Every Breath You Take") but also on gangsta anthems like "It's All About the Benjamins." That sense of loss makes No Way Out a more substantial album than most mid-'90s hip-hop releases, and even if it has flaws -- there's a bit too much filler and it runs a little long -- it is nevertheless a compelling, harrowing album that establishes Puff Daddy as a vital rapper in his own right. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide
Sean "Puffy" Combs (Producer), Sean "Puffy" Combs (Engineer), Sean "Puffy" Combs (Mixing), Jazz (Producer), Al (Taz) Machera (Engineer), Tony Maserati (Mixing), Axel Niehaus (Engineer), Michael Patterson (Engineer), Michael Patterson (Mixing), Herb Powers (Mastering), Doug Wilson (Engineer), Yogi (Producer), Rasheed Goodlowe (Assistant Engineer), Nasheim Myrick (Producer), Michael Lavine (Photography), Diddy (Main Performer), Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie (Producer), Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie (Associate Executive Producer), Stevie J. (Piano), Stevie J. (Programming), Stevie J. (Producer), Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander (Mixing), Carlos "6 July" Broady (Producer), Michael Benabib (Photography), Kelly Price (Vocals), Lane Craven (Engineer), Lane Craven (Mixing), Lorrenn Argumendes (Assistant Engineer), Stephen Dent (Programming), Stephen Dent (Engineer), Lynn Montrose (Assistant Engineer), Steve Jones (Assistant Engineer), John Meredith (Assistant Engineer), Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence (Producer), Diana Pedraza (Engineer), J-Dub (Producer), Christopher Wallace (Executive Producer), Jay Garfield (Producer), John Eaton (Engineer)
No Way Out is the 1997 debut album by Puff Daddy and the Family. The album was originally titled Hell Up In Harlem until the The Notorious B.I.G.'s death, the album topped the album charts in the US with 561,000 units sold in its first week of release, debuting at #1. The album won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
