No Way Out (album)

No way out
Studio album by Puff Daddy
Publication (s)	July 22, 1997
Label (s)	Bad Boy Records
Format (s)	CD , LP
Genre (s)	East coast hip hop , rap
Title (number)	17th
running time	77:52
production	Sean Combs ( Executive Producer ) Christopher Wallace (Executive Producer) D-Dot (Executive Producer) The Hitmen Black Jeruz Big Jaz
chronology - No way out Forever (1999)
Single releases January 7, 1997 Can't Nobody Hold Me Down May 27, 1997 I'll be missing you June 30, 1997 It's All About the Benjamin August 12, 1997 Been around the world March 17, 1998 Victory

No Way Out (English for “no way out”) is the debut album by the American rapper Puff Daddy . It was released on July 22, 1997 through his Bad Boy Records label .

production

Sean Combs himself as well as D-Dot and the rapper The Notorious BIG , who was shot four months before the album was released, acted as executive producers on No Way Out . The main production of the songs was done by The Hitmen Productions, which included Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, Steven “Stevie J” Jordan , Sean “Puffy” Combs, Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence, Nashiem Myrick, Carlos “6 July” Broady , Jeffery "J-Dub" Walker and Yogi belonged to. In addition, Black Jeruz and Big Jaz were each involved in a song. Almost every track on the album uses samples of various songs from different musical genres.

Cover design

The album cover shows a black-and-white photo of Puff Daddy and five of his colleagues standing on a path in black suits and looking at the viewer. At the lower edge of the picture are the words Puff Daddy & the Family in black and No Way Out in gold.

Guest Posts

Other artists besides Puff Daddy can be heard on twelve of the 17 tracks. The rapper The Notorious BIG has four guest contributions and the rapper Mase , the group The LOX , the rapper Lil 'Kim and the singer Carl Thomas are represented twice. The rappers Jay-Z , Busta Rhymes , Ginuwine , Twista and Black Rob as well as the rapper Foxy Brown , the singer Faith Evans and the group 112 each have a guest appearance .

Track list

#	title	time	Guest Posts	Producers	Samples
1	No Way Out (Intro)	1:22		Steven “Stevie J” Jordan for The Hitmen
2	Victory	4:56	The Notorious BIG & Busta Rhymes	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Steven “Stevie J” Jordan for The Hitmen	Going the Distance by Bill Conti
3	Been around the world	5:25	The Notorious BIG & Mase	Sean “Puffy” Combs, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, & Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence for The Hitmen	Let's Dance by David Bowie Feeling Good by Roy Ayers All Around the World by Lisa Stansfield ( Interpolation )
4th	What You Gonna Do?	4:55		Sean “Puffy” Combs, Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence & Nashiem Myrick for The Hitmen	It's Over by Eddie Holman
5	Don't Stop What You're Doing	3:58	Lil 'Kim	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence for The Hitmen	Don't Stop the Music by Yarbrough and Peoples You Haven't Done Nothin ' by Stevie Wonder
6th	If I Should Die Tonight (Interlude)	2:59	Carl Thomas	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Jeffery “J-Dub” Walker for The Hitmen	If I Should Die Tonight by Marvin Gaye
7th	Do you know?	6:06		Sean “Puffy” Combs & Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie for The Hitmen	Concentrate by The Gaturs Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going to) by Diana Ross
8th	Young G's	5:25	Jay-Z & The Notorious BIG	Rashad Smith	On the Hill by Oliver Sain Little Ghetto Boy by Donny Hathaway (Interpolation) Vapors from Biz Markie Unbelievable from The Notorious BIG
9	I love you baby	4:03	Black Rob	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence for The Hitmen	Xtabay (Lure of the Unknown Love) by Yma Sumac
10	It's All About the Benjamin	4:38	The LOX , Lil 'Kim & The Notorious BIG	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie for The Hitmen	I Did It for Love by Love Unlimited Orchestra It's Great to Be Here by The Jackson 5 Jungle Boogie from Kool & The Gang
11	Pain	5:08		Sean “Puffy” Combs & Nashiem Myrick for The Hitmen	Let's Stay Together by Roberta Flack
12	Is This the End?	4:34	Carl Thomas, Ginuwine & Twista	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Steven “Stevie J” Jordan for The Hitmen	Is This the End by New Edition
13	I got the power	4:05	The LOX	Sean “Puffy” Combs for The Hitmen, Big Jaz	Don't Wanna Come Back from Mother's Finest
14th	Friend	6:37	Foxy Brown	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Steven “Stevie J” Jordan for The Hitmen	Person to Person by Average White Band
15th	Señorita	4:07		Sean “Puffy” Combs & Yogi for The Hitmen	Little Lady Maria from Ohio Players No Me Conviene from La India
16	I'll be missing you	5:43	Faith Evans & 112	Sean “Puffy” Combs & Steven “Stevie J” Jordan for The Hitmen	Every Breath You Take by The Police Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
17th	Can't Nobody Hold Me Down	3:51	Mase	Sean “Puffy” Combs, Carlos “6 July” Broady & Nashiem Myrick for The Hitmen	Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder (Interpolation) The Message from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five Atomic Dog by George Clinton Big Beat by Billy Squier Rock with You by Michael Jackson

Chart successes and singles

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

No way out   DE 2 07/28/1997 (24 weeks)   AT 1 07/27/1997 (16 weeks)   CH 1 08/03/1997 (18 weeks)   UK 8th 08/02/1997 (20 weeks)   US 1 08/02/1997 (66 weeks)

Singles

Can't Nobody Hold Me Down   DE 23 04/07/1997 (21 weeks)   CH 37 05/25/1997 (2 weeks)   UK 19th 03/29/1997 (6 weeks)   US 1 01/25/1997 (28 weeks) I'll be missing you   DE 1 06/23/1997 (28 weeks)   AT 1 07/06/1997 (23 weeks)   CH 1 07/06/1997 (33 weeks)   UK 1 06/28/1997 (32 weeks)   US 1 06/14/1997 (33 weeks) It's All About the Benjamin   UK 18th 02/07/1998 (3 weeks)   US 42 04/11/1998 (1 week) Been around the world   DE 41 11/03/1997 (9 weeks)   AT 26th 11/23/1997 (8 weeks)   CH 39 11/23/1997 (4 weeks)   UK 20th 11/01/1997 (9 weeks)   US 2 December 06, 1997 (21 weeks) Victory   DE 67 06/08/1998 (3 weeks)   US 19th 03/21/1998 (20 weeks)

No Way Out entered the German charts at number 24 on July 28, 1997 and reached the top position three weeks later at number 2. In total, the album stayed in the German Top 100 for 24 weeks, including six weeks in the Top 10. The album reached the top of the charts in the USA, Austria and Switzerland.

Five songs on the album were released as singles . The second release I'll Be Missing You , a tribute song to the shot rapper The Notorious BIG , was a global success and reached number 1 in the charts in many countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain and the USA . The first single Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (DE # 23) also reached position 1 in the US charts and the fourth single, Been Around the World (DE # 41) reached position 2 in the USA. The other singles It's All About the Benjamin and Victory (DE # 67) also hit the charts.

Sales figures and awards

Professional reviews
Reviews
source	rating
allmusic
RapReviews

The album was particularly successful in the United States, where it was awarded seven times platinum in 2000 for more than seven million copies sold . In Switzerland, No Way Out received a platinum record for over 50,000 sales and in Austria and Great Britain it was each awarded a gold record.

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Australia (ARIA)	gold	35,000
Belgium (BEA)	gold	25,000
Europe (IFPI)	platinum	1,000,000
France (SNEP)	gold	(100,000)
Canada (MC)	6 × platinum	600,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)	gold	7,500
Netherlands (NVPI)	gold	50,000
Austria (IFPI)	gold	(25,000)
Sweden (IFPI)	gold	(40,000)
Switzerland (IFPI)	platinum	(40,000)
United States (RIAA)	7 × platinum	7,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	gold	(100,000)
All in all	8 × gold 15 × platinum	8,692,500

Main article: Sean Combs / Music Sales Awards

The single I'll Be Missing You was even more successful worldwide and was awarded triple platinum in Germany in 1999 for over 1.5 million copies sold, making it the best-selling rap song in this country . The song also received triple platinum for over three million sales in the USA, while it was awarded double platinum in Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain. The singles Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (2 × Platinum), Been Around the World (Platinum) and Victory (Gold) also received awards in the United States.

At the 1998 Grammy Awards , No Way Out received the award in the Best Rap Album category .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ album cover
2. ↑ Puff Daddy Search at the-breaks.com .
3. ↑ Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
4. ↑ Chart tracking No Way Out at officialcharts.de
5. ↑ No Way Out at chartsurfer.de
6. ↑ Rating: allmusic.com
7. ↑ Review: RapReviews.com
8. ↑ US: 7x platinum
9. ↑ CH: platinum
10. ↑ AT: Gold
11. ↑ UK: Gold
12. ↑ I'll Be Missing You DE: 3x platinum
13. ↑ US: Singles Awards