After years of threatening to call it quits, rapper Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, announced that his next album, “PD5,” set to release in the fall, will be his last.
However, Combs is not the only one leaving the music business.
When artist Jay-Z released “The Black Album” in mid-November of 2003, he also confirmed his retirement of music.
Mentioning to drop out of the entertainment industry is not uncommon in the hip-hop world. Both Combs and Carter talked about stepping out as early as 1999, when former rapper, Mase, left his music to concentrate on religious endeavers.
Some artists, such as Dr. Dre in 2002, considered leaving the business simply because they have nothing else to say. Rapper DMX left the music scene last year, to focus on family and church.
Throwing in the towel is nothing new for the hip-hop media, however it is unheard of for rappers to leave and never return.
Abandoning the business cannot be done at just any time. It seems to be popular to leave when things are still going strong.
“If you go out on top, you leave a much larger legacy,” Andre Bouffard, a business sophomore said. “If you leave when people push you out, then it really is over.”
In other occupations, leaving is the last consideration when income is high and employees enjoy the work.  
Retiring while still in demand leaves an advantage for performers. Although the artist may not plan on returning to the scene, if the fans will be around, there is an option of coming back said Bouffard.
The aftermath must be considered. All aspects of retirement, from fans to finances, should be secured before the decision is made.
Although these rappers are not dying, sometimes artists are more appreciated after-death, such as the late Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.
“It [retiring] is just an easy way to make money on their last album,” Angela Barthelemy, an accounting freshman said.
However, the record sales for recent rappers announcing a leave do not prove to have a greater financial income.
“All of their CD’s have sold equally as well as their previous albums since they announced retirement,” said Matthew Cwieka, 34, a sales associate at Sam Goody. “For P-Diddy, his stuff hasn’t sold well for the past five years.”
Retirement life for someone who was once under the constant watch of the world is much different from anyone else.
According to MTV News, for Combs, his work will be concentrated on his entertainment label, Bad Boy Entertainment and his clothing line, “Sean John.” He will also continue his acting career, moving on from small, but important roles.
Various news sources have said that Jay-Z will continue to produce music with Roc-A-Fella Records and may collaborate with other artists.
“They won’t be missed,” Barthelemy said. “There are plenty of other artists out there.”