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For the first time ever, Diddy has gotten on the cover of XXL Magazine. As much as he’s accomplished, it’s surprising that he hasn’t been featured on the cover of the publication before. XXL has put part of his feature story online, check out an excerpt of Puff’s feature with XXL below:

Drama students are such precious little creatures. Grown-up problems like mortgage payments and job security are not yet a concern. Aspiring actors care deeply about their craft. And they are eager to learn. That’s why they have lined up outside of Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center, in Lower Manhattan, for a taping of Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio. Tonight they will hear from a real pro.

Backstage, the program’s thespian star of the night skips up a side staircase, turns the corner and strides down the corridor toward his dressing room. He’s wearing a tailored navy-blue suit, a black T-shirt, black Nike sneakers and a pinky ring that’s visible from down the hall. The greenroom, filled with a congregation of lawyers, managers, record executives, A&Rs, publicists, assistants and production assistants, empties. Some folks just loiter in the hallway. Most make their way into the dressing room to get closer to the night’s guest.

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Inside the Actors Studio is a show where actors are interviewed in front of an audience of drama students. It’s been on for 16 seasons, is seen in over 125 countries and has featured some of the biggest names as guests, including Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Will Smith and the evening’s interview subject, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The rapper and major music mogul has starred in two feature films (Monster’s Ball and Made), one Broadway play turned TV movie (A Raisin in the Sun) and one direct-to-DVD sequel (Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power). Tonight he’s here to plug his latest film, Get Him to the Greek, a raucous comedy co-starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill, set for release this month. He plays Sergio Roma, a savantlike record executive known for his hit records and loud mouth. Sound familiar?

The two-hour interview with James Lipton, the program’s oft-parodied 83-year-old host, goes smoothly. The guest talks about his childhood and his long, storied history in the music industry, starting as Puff Daddy, up to Diddy. (Although he’s gone through several official name changes—P. Diddy in 2001, Diddy in 2005—it seems he’ll always be Puffy or Puff to most fans and folks around him.) He beat-boxed as Lipton jokingly freestyled. He even reluctantly rose from his chair and Diddy-bopped. He also spent very little time actually talking about acting. In fact, the subject wasn’t broached until 80 minutes into their chat. Still, Lipton thinks Puff was worthy of a visit to Inside the Actors Studio.

After the taping, Diddy’s dressing room is calm. His mother, Janice Combs, sits quietly. His good friend, the unsigned rapper Jay Electronica shows off his iPad, while Diddy’s artist Cassie gets half of her head shaped up by a barber. Meanwhile, Diddy huddles with his manager, Chris Lighty of Violator Management, and co-manager James Cruz. “He went in,” Puffy says about Lipton’s methodical and agonizingly obsequious interview. “It was surreal for me to be on Inside the Actors Studio. It was surreal for me to be on that stage.”

Even Puff seems amazed to have scored this gig. And by now he sho