Back in 1991, in his days as an executive at Uptown Records, Sean "Puffy" Combs, the flamboyant hip-hop mogul everybody loves to hate, convinced himself that he erected an idea that has revolutionized the industry - the remix. When his first experiment, a remix of Jodeci's "Come and Talk to Me," sold 2.5 million records, Puffy knew he was on to something.

While the innovation quickly spread, over the years, few have taken advantage of it quite like Combs. Remixes of Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear" and Notorious B.I.G's "One More Chance," are among the most legendary songs in rap history. Incidentally, it was a remix of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" which first showcased the Brooklyn hustler's lyrical prowess to the world.

So with a depleted roster, about to become even thinner if you believe the rumors of 112's impending departure, the self-retitled P. Diddy has devised a plan to keep his empire afloat. His latest release, We Invented the Remix, affords Diddy the opportunity to dust off some old material mixed with new voices, keeping Bad Boy's name on the charts as he searches for his next star.

The album's prize number is P. Diddy's smash hit "I Need A Girl" featuring Usher and Loon, which is actually preceded by "I Need A Girl Part 2." The sequel has a similar theme with Diddy searching for a female companion, though in this version Usher passes the baton to Genuine.

For hardcore rap fans, the album includes a scintillating remix of G-Dep's "Special Delivery," which evokes memories of the aforementioned "Flava in Ya Ear." Bad Boy's newest Harlem discovery shares the mic with Keith Murray, Wu-Tang's GhostfaceKillah, and Craig Mack himself, who recently resigned with the label in an effort to resurrect his career. Still another street banger is a remix of last summer's popular single "Bad Boy for Life," featuring Busta Rhymes and M.O.P.

Criticized in the past for exploiting the memory of the late Biggie Smalls, P. Diddy limits his fallen friend to a mere three tracks. First, he pairs Biggie's lyrics from "#!*@ You Tonight" with Ashanti's current hit "Foolish." He also includes a remix of "Notorious B.I.G," maintaining the same vocals over a different beat and uses Biggie's first verse from "My Downfall" on a track with Carl Thomas.

The album contains several interesting Rap and R&B pairings such as G-Dep dropping a verse onto Faith Evans' "You Gets No Love." Perhaps most intriguing is the reunion between P. Diddy and Mary J Blige on "No More Drama," almost a decade after then "Puffy" Combs molded Blige into the queen hip-hop.

The only ill-fated song is a remix of Black Rob's "That's Crazy," which is itself a spin on his lone hit to date, "Whoa." P. Diddy does his best to spice up the track by adding verses from Snoop Dogg and Missy Elliot but the dreadful beat and goofy hook remain. Another track that could go is 112's "Dance With Me" remix, where Beanie Siegel's mediocre flow adds little to the original version.

Fans expecting a nostalgic journey through Bad Boy's extensive catalog will be disappointed. Neither Mase nor the Lox are anywhere to be found and B.I.G.'s contributions are limited. On the R&B front, Total is surprisingly ignored. P. Diddy's formula is fairly simple. He uses reliable R&B acts as the foundation for the album while dropping verses from his new generation of rappers.

Overall, "We Invented the Remix" appeals more to the R&B fan who gets the rare chance to hear stars like Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige and Usher in the same CD. None of Bad Boy's young guns will blow you away and P.Diddy's own flow is still a work in progress. But the album does contain three or four sure fire hits, which should keep the spotlight on the controversial CEO while he continues to rebuild.