This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
What a difference a couple of years makes.
In 1999, Sean (Puffy) Combs had it all. Then his second CD Forever stiffed, he got busted in that nasty club shooting, and his galpal J.Lo dumped him. No wonder Puff Daddy wants a change of identity. And no wonder he’s out to rebuild his street cred on his aggressive new album The Saga Continues. This disc has no Police samples or rock-star cameos; instead, Puff gets back to basics on a set of hard-hitting, no-frills tracks crafted with the help of his Bad Boy Records artist stable. After all the bling-bling and blatant flossing of his earlier joints, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear cuts like That’s Crazy and Diddy, which boast both bumptious grooves and addictive hooks. Granted, at more than 77 minutes, this sprawling sucker suggests Combs is still in need of a good editor. But without a doubt, this is his most appealing, least annoying album yet. It’s enough to make you look forward to the next chapter in the saga.
