On his 46th birthday (November 4, 2015), Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs spent the early hours with Sway In The Morning. There, the Bad Boy Records founder and CEO spoke about his MMM (Money Making Mitch) release, which released online later that day (and is available for stream below). Additionally, the Harlem, New York native reflected on re-claiming a true sound of the city, and made some bold claims surrounding his own status behind the production boards.

For an artist who currently tops the Forbes Hip-Hop “Cash King” list, the man formerly known as Diddy spoke about his wealth and lifestyle. “I tell people: I’m livin’ the Black American Dream.” At a time when race, class, and economics are very much discussion points in America, Combs stressed, “I had to work 10 times harder to even get to this.”

Moving the 40-minute discussion to MMM, Puff said that the free effort is “Really about me getting back to producing.” Claiming this effort will predate his fifth and final solo album, the rapper/executive/actor asserted his place at the top. “I’m the #1 Hip-Hop producer in the world.” As Sway asked Puffy to elaborate on what exactly he meant, the man credited for The Notorious B.I.G., Jay Z, and Method Man records reiterated, “I’m #1.”

Later in the interview, Combs gave insight to his production philosophy, and how it ties to legacy. “Only the song survives,” is what Puffy claims is his musical mantra. “Through that, my style of production is a little more cinematic. This is a sonic motion picture,” referring back to MMM. Of the effort, he stressed, “It’s not a mixtape, it’s a motion picture.” Although it’s free to the public, the veteran declares that its production was no low-budget affair. “I spent superstar money making this.”

To Puff, the objectives are big with MMM, a work partially inspired by the film, Paid In Full. Diddy says that he only saw the 2002 Charles Stone III-directed film in the last two years, but deeply praised Dame Dash and Roc-A-Fella Films for the work. With the Wood Harris film as a vocal illustration, he continued, “I wanted to let New York know, and show y’all that there’s a sound there. There’s a sound that we have. We all lost our souls a little bit—including myself—gettin’ off-track, gettin’ out of our lane, losin’ our swag.” Pressed by Sway as to when Puff felt his own music lost his soul, the guest pointed to 2014’s “Big Homie” and 2010’s Diddy – Dirty Money single “Someone To Love Me.” He continued, “I slipped. I got off on the wrong exit, which happens to people. You learn from that.”

In strong birthday spirits, Puff Daddy also spoke about how, in 2015, he manages to connect with adolescents through music. “The blessing is that the ’90s is so on fire. And being the cat that ran the ’90s, literally every hit record, it feels good right now.”

The interview also addresses parental discipline, Hip-Hop’s ageism, and Puff Daddy helping Sway renegotiate a contract.

#BonusBeat: Stream Puff Daddy’s MMM (Money Making Mitch) below:

Related: Through Thick & Thin Puff Daddy & The LOX Still Make Great Music Together (Audio)