Andre Harrell, music exec who discovered Diddy, dies at 59

NEW YORK — Andre Harrell, the Uptown Records founder who shaped the sound of hip-hop and R&B in the late ’80s and ’90s with acts such as Mary J. Blige and Heavy D and also launched the career of mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, has died. He received an internship at Uptown and quickly rose the ranks after finding success with just-signed acts including R&B group Jodeci and Blige, who was dubbed the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul with the release of her 1992 debut, “What’s the 411?” Uptown also released Notorious B.I.G.’s first single, 1993’s “Party and Bull----,” which was featured on a film soundtrack. “Andre Harrell influenced me the most and I don’t know if that will ever change,” Diddy said in an interview with HipHollywood. “We are mourning the loss of a cultural icon, Andre Harrell, a chief architect of the modern hip-hop and R&B sound,” BET President Scott Mills said in a statement Saturday.