Within months his talents were noticed, and he was promoted to Vice President making his mark as the creative force behind the debut albums of Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. Puffy would soon be recognized for his musical talents, as well as his ability to fashion the image of the artists with whom he worked.

In 1993, puffy signed an exclusive arrangement with Clive Davis of arista records to distribute his newly formed label Bad Boy Entertainment, which quickly released its first artist, Craig Mack. This album would be the first of a long list of releases that went platinum. Biggie Smalls, the second artist he released, then further established Bad Boy Entertainment as the premiere hip/hop label in the world.

From the beginning of his career, Puffy has always had an intrinsically great sense of personal style, which he has incorporated into every aspect of his life. from the music video in which he has starred and produced to his covers of such magazines as rolling stone, vibe, the source, notorious and one world, Puff's style has pervaded. His interests in fashion range from celebrity attendee at runway shows in milan, paris and new york to the fashion icon that he has become with the 1998 launch of his own line of clothing appropriately named sean john, his first and middle names. n"I didn't want to over use my celebrity," said Puffy. "I just called it Sean John, which is my fashion alter ego and real name."

The line consists of a tightly edited collection of 32 pieces including shirtings, jeanswear, casual sportswear, and underwear inspired by puffy's own image. each of these looks represents a cool, easy, and spirited take on the sportswear arena. sean john will extend its product line to include outerwear and knitwear for the fall 1999 collection. "Understand that we are not in the clothing business for a quick hit, but we are truly committed to the expansion and growth of the men's marketplace and will use all of our resources to ensure that quality in both designs and production of Sean John always exceeds your expectations," said Puffy. "We would ultimately like to have the sean john line viewed as the future of fashion."

The clothing line made its debut in the spring of 1999 in some of the finest department and specialty stores in america including Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Belk's, Carson Pirie Scott, Bernini, and Fred Segal.