Sean 'Diddy' Combs drops the P

Combs said his old nickname made people uncomfortable

US rapper Sean "P Diddy" Combs is changing his name again - by dropping the "P".

Combs said he now wanted to be known just as "Diddy" as his old name was causing confusion and he wanted to "simplify things".

The 35-year-old singer and producer has already changed his nickname once - from Puff Daddy to P Diddy in 2001.

The change forms part of a publicity campaign for the MTV Awards, which Diddy is hosting later this month.

'Uncomfortable'

He told the New York Post that his name was even starting to confuse himself.

"Nobody knew what to call me. I'd notice that people were uncomfortable when I'd meet them for the first time, and then they'd ask me what they should call me," he said.

"I even started to get confused myself - and when I'd called someone on the telephone it took me a long time to explain who I was. Too long."

He added: "One word. Five letters. Period."