Sean Combs' exclusive Apple Music documentary
Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story officially debuted on the music streaming service last night [
Direct Link]. The film was
announced this past April, following the documentary's premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Can't Stop Won't Stop follows Combs, aka "Puff Daddy," and the rise of Bad Boy Records throughout the 1990s, all the way up until the reuniting of the Bad Boy Family in 2016 for a reunion show tour in New York City.
Apple Music's full description follows:
In 1993, Sean "Diddy Combs, a.k.a. Puff Daddy, founded Bad Boy Records and changed popular culture forever. In 2016, the Bad Boy Family reunited in Brooklyn, New York for the biggest homecoming in hip-hop history. Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story explores the passion and personalities behind the empire, and goes inside the making of a movement and the staging of an unprecedented musical event.
This is an intern-to-CEO story -- a raw behind-the-scenes look at the legacy of Bad Boy through a complex portrait of its mastermind as Combs reunites the Family over a frantic three-week rehearsal period. The film traces the label's emergence in Harlem and Brooklyn, follows its meteoric rise, reflects on the tragic killing of Biggie Smalls, and celebrates Bad Boy's influence -- all while reveling the love and commitment that binds every member of the Family together.
The Apple Music page for the film includes the trailer, a running time indicator of one hour, and "Songs in this Movie" so viewers can easily find the music that appears in the documentary. Apple has also placed
Can't Stop Won't Stop across the carousel on Apple Music's "Browse" tab, as well as given more spotlight to hip hop-related radio stations, playlists, and old tracks and videos by The Notorious B.I.G.
Apple's exclusive access to the one-hour documentary is said to be for as long as one year. Following the announcement in April, Combs said he felt "blessed" to be working with Apple as a partner in telling the story of Bad Boy Records.
Can't Stop Won't Stop is the latest
music-related film content for Apple Music, and represents Apple's ongoing push into original TV production. The company
launched Planet of the Apps earlier in June, and
Carpool Karaoke: The Series is set to
debut on August 8.
Moving forward, Apple hopes to expand its content beyond music and tech, with former Sony executives
Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg helping to lead Apple's push into more traditional television for Apple Music.
Top Rated Comments
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I would actually watch an Apple Produced "Behind the Music" series. I think that's a perfect tie in to something an Apple Music subscriber would be interested in. iPhone App Shark Tank, not so much.
Your point about the appeal to an Apple Music subscriber is spot on. I can't wait to see this particular "Behind the Music" feature. These guys succeeded in influencing and in some ways changing popular culture. That's a huge accomplishment whether you are a fan of Hip Hop or not -- and seeing the inside story of a major cultural shift is educational.
Regarding "iPhone App Shark Tank" I might be the exception but I also enjoyed the Planet Of The Apps debut. I found it really well done: entertaining and insightful regarding the behind the scenes effort to do big things with little apps.
And with the popularity of Fox's fictional show, Empire, there are probably a lot of potential viewers out there wanting to see a behind-the-scenes look at a real life musical empire, even if aspects may be a bit warped and hyped to suit Puffy's ego. (I hope not, but that's a possibility if it lingers on his perspective).
Granted, his many name changes were comical, but he was a big presence and influence for many years and I would imagine there are some stories to tell in this documentary that might be interesting even to people who don't listen to the music.
This should become a series, where's the radiohead one? Massive attack? Backstreet boys? Enough with the hip-hop only culture at apple music.
And maybe a Chumbawamba, Dexy's Midnight Runners, and Baha Men segment!
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White guilt: helping hip-hop propogate through the rigors of more legitimate music since the mid-90s.
No, just capitalism. Apple isn't showcasing this to be socially active. It want's that demographic's fanbases $$$. It doesn't go any deeper than that. It's AM not PBS.
and so we fete the violence and misogyny of hip-hop.
Right. As if other genres of music are immune to misogyny and violence.
Will watch the rest after work and also ep3 of planet crap.. I hope some app will intrigue me some day. And that they change people.
Certainly not disputing that it was well-done. It just seems not something a subscriber to a streaming music service would want to watch especially if you were a subscriber on Android and a new iOS App wouldn't appeal to you.
iTunes Live from London
Carpool Karaoke
Behind the music-esque documentaries
maybe tie-ins with Bonarroo and other festivals, that would totally be up my ally. I love live music specials on TV and really love documentaries about music styles and artists.
I agree with your point and formula as someone who is also interested in music and artists. I would love to, and expect to see more of what you describe.
It appears that Apple is following a broader formula for entertainment: music, documentaries, and original content that appeals to multiple audiences with varying and perhaps intersecting interests. I see the Apps offering as a first in the original content category. I’m constantly surprised by the number of people I meet who have ideas for apps that they believe no one has built yet, so I suspect the audience for the Apps series might be surprisingly large. Whether there is a large audience or not I’m pleased and looking forward to more.
Net-net: I find the emerging Apple formula interesting because it aligns with my general interests in art and technology .. and watching Apple evolve their strategies and offerings to stay aligned with their founding principle (the intersection of art and technology) is a bonus.
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