It’s been 26 years since Sean “Diddy” Combs released his debut solo album, No Way Out.

In a heartfelt Instagram post on Saturday (July 22), the Bad Boy Records founder credited his late friend The Notorious B.I.G. for inspiring him to become an artist and create the album. “Biggie inspired me to become an artist and make this album, so it’s bittersweet to look back on such a pivotal turning point in my life and career that turned Bad Boy into an unstoppable dynasty and cemented our place in hip hop history!”

Diddy continued, “To have countless hit records from so many timeless artists that became global superstars, it will be hard for anyone to ever create a moment in music that changed the culture like No Way Out! Special thank you to all the artists, producers, [and] writers that helped me along the way to bring my vision to life.”

No Way Out debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 561,000 copies in its first week of sales. The LP went on to earn a seven-times platinum certification from the RIAA and a Grammy award for Best Rap Album. The album’s singles also saw huge success, especially “I’ll Be Missing You,” which became the first rap song to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The project, which is the most successful of Diddy’s career so far, was released under the name Puff Daddy & The Family. Of course, “The Family” refers to the guest appearances from his labelmates at Bad Boy Records, including Biggie, Lil’ Kim, the LOX, Mase, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas, and 112. JAY-Z, Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, Twista, and Foxy Brown also made appearances on the offering.

As previously reported by REVOLT, in June of 2022, Diddy was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California.