Diddy is not the best lyricist to step in the booth. He's been accused of riding the posthumous coattails of Biggie for several years now, and critics have often said his early success was undeserved, claiming he was incapable of producing a song without the aid of a sample. Despite all this, he's still managed to remain in the public eye for the past decade, a feat that's as much a testament to his music's commercial value as it is to his numerous publicity stunts.

No one has ever accused Diddy of being lazy. Not when he was Puff Daddy, not when he was P. Diddy and certainly not now. In addition to heading Bad Boy Entertainment, his clothing line and popular NYC restaurant have propelled the international superstar to Donald Trump-like status. He also develops chart-topping artists - most recently, Danity Kane of "Making the Band 3" fame. The effort paid off: The group's album debuted at No. 1. While mentoring the group, Diddy still found time to work on his solo project.

Press Play, which is technically Diddy's only second proper album (except for 1999's Forever, his other album titles all included the Bad Boy Family), is by no means a solo effort. Like all of his prior projects, it's saturated with guests. No doubt Diddy has musical talent as a rapper (as with Nelly, he understands what it takes to make a hit record), but perhaps his greatest attribute is his matchmaking ability - he has an acute ear for who will sound good on which tracks.

This ability is evident on songs like "Tell Me" and "Last Night." The former is a Just Blaze-produced banger composed of a constant drum roll under repetitive synths - it's the type of song best played at a high volume. Diddy could have thrown any nameless female on the hook, but being the perfectionist he is, he went out and got arguably the best pop voice in the industry, Christina Aguilera. The wise selection results in one of the strongest songs on the album, as Aguilera's vocal range always impresses. She sounds fantastically seductive while staying perfectly on key.

Recruiting the underrated Keyshia Cole for "Last Night" was also fitting. There's no rapping on the song; Diddy and Cole sing to each other and achieve an unexpected harmony over hard kicks and a backdrop of strings and electronic piano.

Diddy does his best Biggie impression on "Hold Up," showing off some impressive lyrical ability: "Tell a friend warn a brother / About my splurges, merges with Warner Brother, / Thugs actin' funny 'cus chicks call me honey / See a nine figga nigga makin' Bugs Bunny money."

He also sparkles on "We Gon' Make It," a D-Dot-helmed track that sounds like one of Kanye West's soulful creations. The song uses the same sample as Jay-Z's recent single "Show Me What You Got," the leadoff to his comeback record. It's notable that these two New York rap veterans are comfortable sharing the sample, but ultimately assemble drastically different songs.

There are clearly several solid tracks, but can listeners simply press play, kick back and listen straight through the album? With some weak songs bunched in the middle of the album, they could - but they'd probably get bored. While the guests worked to Diddy's advantage on the aforementioned songs as suitable complements, on several tracks they simply outshine him (Nas on "Everything I Love," Big Boi on "Wanna Move").

But Diddy explores new territory on this album, which is commendable for a veteran artist. The rap mogul provides something for everyone - he hasn't forgotten how to make you move and he's acquired a few new tricks as well. Press Play is littered with R&B songs and even a funky throwback to the early days of hip hop. Sure, Diddy's delivery is somewhat monotone, but he makes up for it with a likeable personality and unrelenting energy. Press Play is his overdue emergence as a complete artist.

Star Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Press Play
Diddy
Bad Boy