This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Sean (Puffy) Combs has never been much of a musician or performer, but he’s a maestro at orchestrating publicity.
His 1997 CD No Way Out dropped shortly after his collaborator and friend Notorious B.I.G. was killed, and scored thanks to the tribute track I’ll Be Missing You. Forever follows the same formula, kicking off with news clips of Biggie’s death and Combs’ arrest for assault. Oddly, those are the most recognizable samples here — Puffy’s reined in his penchant for copping licks from old pop hits, switching to more obscure funk and soul chestnuts. Otherwise, Forever is a surprisingly typical rap disc — a mix of hyper Timbaland funk, smooth soul and gangster-rap, driven by a posse of guest stars (Jay-Z, Redman, even B.I.G.) who take up Puffy’s slack. Combs has the money to buy the best, and on Forever he’s done just that. But he’ll never have enough cash to buy himself some real talent.
