Christian “King” Combs has become the new celebrity off-spring that has dominated the fashion industry and beyond. The talented young star, who is signed with his father’s label, Bad Boy Records, is proving that he is more than his famous last name.
Recently, the talented young star took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Billboard Magazine about his new single, “Love You Better,” featuring Chris Brown, trying to find a balance between his music and modeling careers, and how being Sean Combs’ son has both its advantages and disadvantages.
Check out excerpts from the interview below. To follow Combs on Instagram, click here.
What’s your relationship with Chris Brown? I always wondered how you guys linked up for “Love You Better.”
It came about real organically. We was at French Montana‘s crib in Calabasas. Remy Ma was cooking. It was a classic night. They just got back from winning an award. Maybe it was BET Awards weekend? I don’t remember the exact dates, so I wouldn’t mark that down, but whatever. We was at the crib and we were in the living room. It was me and Chris Brown and he was playing me his Heartbreak on a Full Moon album and I was like, “Wow. This is fire.” Then I played him my mixtape, and he really liked the sound and the whole vibe I was going for.
He was like, “Yo I gotta hop on this. Let me get on that hook. This is crazy.” And I’m like, “Yeah. I can use this as my single. Let’s do it.” So then, two days after, he’s a man of his word. We went to the studio and he got in the booth and laid it down real quick. There was a lot of good vibes in the room. It looked like a party in the studio that night. He laid his hook and I was like, “Damn. That’s crazy. He really brings that real R&B feel to the track now.”
“Love You Better” samples Case’s “Touch Me, Tease Me” record. How important has it been for you to incorporate your love for the ’90s into the current times, especially with you only being 19?
It’s definitely been important to me and it really started from not really having beats and trying to find my own sound. So I was just listening to a lot of beats on YouTube just to try to get a vibe and it happened that the throwback ’90s vibe was like the songs that I delivered the best on. It just came together and honestly, that’s my favorite time in music. I just like that vibe, the whole feel, the whole essence of the ‘90s and just the swag.
You also showed you can you can get busy on the mic, especially on “Berry” and your “Paid in Full” freestyle. Do you have more fun showing off your lyrical side versus doing songs for the ladies, or is it the other way around?
My pops actually tells me to chill on the ladies records. That’s really my favorite topic. He be like, “Damn, son. How many more ladies joints you gonna have?” [Laughs.]
Obviously, you must have a special lady in your life for you to keep doing those kinds of records.
Yeah, definitely. You know my girl is definitely an inspiration for that. And that’s just my favorite thing to talk about and my favorite way to talk.
You’ve been busy with both modeling and rapping. How have you been able to balance studio time with being the face of Dolce and Gabbana and now your new deal with Tommy Jeans for their Spring ’18 Campaign?
I’m in the studio all the time and you know, the modeling stuff is like having one car you go and drive once in awhile, but it’s not like an everyday thing for me right now. Music is really an everyday thing.
Your flow and delivery very much sounds like Ma$e and your dad. Were they your inspirations musically?
Damn. It must really sound like that, huh? [Laughs.] But, yeah, all of the Bad Boy artists were an influence to me growing up. I would say the biggest influence was actually Biggie. When I’m in the studio, I would try to just do a song like them, but I would still do my own thing on it. Like I gotta make sure that I’m gonna be able to hold my own on any track. And Biggie to me is the greatest of all-time.
I definitely looked up to the Puff and Ma$e era. That’s my favorite era of my pops. Like, it was songs that he did at that time, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” “Been Around the World” and “All About the Benjamins.” Those are some of my favorite songs from my dad. So that definitely played a big part of my life, that Puff and Ma$e era.
Check out Combs’ new music, below featuring Chris Brown. To read the interview with Billboard in its entirety, click here.
