The real summer blockbuster is No Way Out, the autobiographical sonic movie produced, directed by, and starring Bad Boy Entertainment CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs. Co-stars include the late Notorious B.I.G., Faith, Mase, Lil' Kim, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes. Of No Way Out's 15 songs, three are already colossal hits-the inspirational, double-platinum-plus "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," #1 on six Billboard charts for 12 weeks and, according to Soundscan, the best-selling, single of the year; the underground classic "It's All About the Benjamins;" and the B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You." The tender tribute song, on which Puffy rhymes and B.I.G.'s wife Faith sings the chorus, has touched listeners around the globe. Number one in theUK and Germany, and selling strong throughout the rest of Europe and number one on six American Billboard charts for six consecutive weeks, "I'll Be Missing You" has transcended the walls of language and culture to show that fans worldwide are mourning Biggie and supporting Puffy. The best selling maxi-single of the year and one of the biggest selling singles of the decade, "I'll Be Missing You" is only one of the hot song on No Way Out. But not long ago it looked as if the album might never be heard.

As a teenager growing up in Mount Vernon, NY, young Sean "Puffy" Combs dreamed of making an album. "Everybody has a dream when they're watching Run-D.M.C. or LL Cool J," Puff says with a laugh. "They think, 'I wish I was that.' And I was always somebody who closed my eyes and dreamed but then opened my eyes and saw what I had to."

His story, by now, is known around the world. And as in all great stories, it is amazing not because of the dizzying heights he reaches, but because of his humbling, inauspicious opening. A scrambling, business-minded Howard student becomes the hardest-working intern at Andre Harrell's Uptown Entertainment. After proving himself he's promoted to A&R. He architects a pair of hiphop-soul skyscrapers: Mary J. Blige and Jodeci. In 1991 he becomes the CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment. He introduces the world to the Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Faith, Total, 112, Mase, and the L.O.X. He sells more than 12 million albums in three years, including five platinum and ten gold albums. He wins ASCAP's "Songwriter of the Year" award. He works with all the major names in modern music-Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, TLC, SWV. He creates some of the more incredible records hiphop has ever heard-the Craig Mack "Flava in Ya Ear" remix, the Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance," and "Who Shot Ya," Mariah Carey and Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Fantasy," Faith's "You Used To Love Me," and his own, "It's All About the Benjamins."

Meanwhile, off-stage, Puff grows into a mature man and a powerfully, socially-conscious executive. His son Justin is born. He funds and oversees Daddy's House Social Programs which give inner-city homeless and foster kids positive experiences. He works on a gospel album called Thank You, so he can help make God cool with kids. He opens a family restaurant called Justin's. He plans to start a clothing line called Sean John and, in Hollywood, Bad Boy Films.

And through it all Bad Boy becomes more than a label selling music. It sells a lifestyle and launches a movement-the Bad Boy Movement-that, like Motown and Def Jam in their day, perfectly captures and deftly shapes the Zeitgeist. Puff joins Michael Jordan, and Spike Lee as a major influence on the way this generation dances, dresses, rhymes, sings, walks. He goes from tastemaker extraordinaire to generational leader, from the CEO of an entertainment company to the embodiment of what all hiphop generation boys dream of becoming. Finally, after years of hard work and planning, with a loyal family of MCs and singers by his side, he begins his solo album.

He began by making songs that represent different parts of his complex Scorpio personality. "Victory," a frenetic, rah-rah joint featuring B.I.G. and Busta that represents how close he and the Notorious B.I.G. were. "Why Do They Hate Us," a slam-dunk certain smash featuring Puff and Mase flowing over the beat from David Bowie's "Let's Dance," speaking to all the playerhaters. "Pain," on which Puff sings the chorus, and talks about," all the things that hurt me in my life." "Is This The End" where Puff rhymes Bone, Thugs-style. "Senorita" a sexy ode to the hot Latina Mamis. An extended remix of "It's All About the Benjamins" adding rhymes from Lil' Kim and B.I.G. And "Friend," a funky make-you-dance track with a rhyme from Foxy Brown, where Puff tells how he deals with fickle audiences: "What do ya do when they love you?" he asks in the chorus, "Live your life!" the backup singers answer. "What do ya do when their love turns cold?" he asks again. "Live your life!" the backup singers answer.

Though he rhymes on all tracks Puffy refuses to call himself a rapper or an MC. "I would never disrespect the art of rapping and MCing," Puffy says. "I'm an entertainer. I don't write all my rhymes myself-I co-write with Jay-Z, Sauce Money, Lil' Kim, Mase, Jay from the L.O.X. I'm not a MC, I'm a vibe-giver."

But as a producer, Puff knows he's among the hiphop elite. "I know how Michael Jordan feels when he's on the court because that's the way I feel in the studio: like I'm the man. That's not in an arrogant way, but that's the only way you can go into it. If you're trying to be the greatest you got to go into it like you are the greatest. When there's one second left, Jordan's not shooting like I may make the shot. I don't make a record like it may be a hit. It is a hit."

Puff had nearly completed the album-"I was just having fun, makin' hot records. The concept was to have 15 hits on it,"-when he and B.I.G. took time out for a trip to the Soul Train Awards in Los Angeles.

Only one of them returned.

"When everything happened," Puff says, meaning B.I.G.'s passing, "I just wanted to give up. I didn't wanna work, I didn't wanna make music no more."

Then, one long night after the funeral, Puff had a dream. "In the dream I was screaming at somebody, saying, 'There's no way out for me!' I meant there's no way out of me having to live my life. At times I feel like I'm trapped inside of a movie starring me, but I'm not the director, and I don't know what the next scene is, nothing. So I was screaming to somebody, 'What am I gonna do now?! There's no way out for me! There's no way out for me!' When I woke up I knew I had to do this album."

On July 22, Bad Boy Entertainment presented No Way Out.