Press Play
by Diddy
  • Record Label: Bad Boy
  • Release Date: Oct 17, 2006
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. The Guardian
    60
    The musical brilliance that surrounds him only serves to highlight Combs's shortcomings as a rapper.
  2. Billboard
    60
    "Play" is light-years more enterprising than Diddy's sample-happy history might suggest.
  3. Hartford Courant
    60
    You could argue the all-star assemblage of "Press Play" - Diddy's first solo set in half a decade - would have been even stronger without the auteur's direct involvement, and certainly without his pedestrian rhymes about love and life.
  5. NOW Magazine
    60
    A sprawled-out, futuristic tribute to Diddy's own celebrity.
  6. Slant Magazine
    60
    Diddy still doesn't have an original bone in his body or a fresh idea in his head, and he relies on his previously successful formulas... but damn if it doesn't actually work.
  7. PopMatters
    60
    It’s definitely an enjoyable listen, although that’s due to hot beats and great collaborators as much (or even more) as it’s due to Diddy himself.
  8. Blender
    60
    An album that begins as a me-against-the-world celebration of self ends as a somber plea for emotional wholeness. [Dec 2006, p.173]
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  9. Los Angeles Times
    50
    It certainly weaves a wide range of up-to-the-second pop styles into the mix: throwback '70s funkiness, dance music's two-step and drum 'n' bass, new-wave soul.... Still, he is no Prince.
  10. Rolling Stone
    50
    Diddy’s rhymes are more adept than they used to be, but his flat voice and retro boasts drag things down.
  11. Stylus Magazine
    42
    Press Play is like an episode of My Super Sweet 16: though lavishly decorated and probably an honor to be invited to, there's a megalomaniacal presence that ensures the whole party is about glorification of ego rather than actual fun.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 41
  3. Negative: 16 out of 41
  1. MB
    Mar 14, 2007
    1
    Well what do you expect from a man whos best friend dies and his best attempt at being heartfelt is ripping off somebody elses song. As far Well what do you expect from a man whos best friend dies and his best attempt at being heartfelt is ripping off somebody elses song. As far as Im concerned it was more about the money than the sentiment. Straight disrespect to BIG. Anyways... Real Hip Hop has it perfect.. he just talks in all his songs. He always has. Unfortunately hes far from a diligent spoken word poet. He has no cred and is just a rich primadonna. Straight gargage , son! p.s. - I think it should be required for reviewers to at LEAST be able to spell.... a 5th grade reading level would be nice too... thanks… Full Review »
  2. realhiphop
    Nov 28, 2006
    1
    this was terrible. one of the absolute worst cds i have ever heard... puff daddy, or i mean, diddy rather, sorry puff, is still rapping like this was terrible. one of the absolute worst cds i have ever heard... puff daddy, or i mean, diddy rather, sorry puff, is still rapping like it's the height of the rap label wars of the 90s. nobody cares that he raps for bad boy records, bad boy records is an awful name for a record label and nobody even raps for them anymore. diddy is an even worse name than puff daddy, and puff daddy is one of the worst names one could come up with as an alias for a rapper. the hooks are horrible and his lyrics are bad. His flow is absolute garbage. He's just talking to himself. I wish he would stop making music, he has nothing to say whatsoever and no insight into life or existence whatsoever. Bad boy for life. here is one line that I heard about ten times in like 3 songs: "bad boy b*tch!" awful.… Full Review »
  3. clubfunk
    Oct 28, 2006
    7
    this album is not bad,its got alot of genres in it as hip hop,r n b,and pop and also some great collabarations,that wat makes it work for me
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