Sean John: I Am King (Of Creed Ripoffs)

[MFfan310]

Well, it was bound to happen: Sean "Diddy" Combs just ripped off another Creed. But which one? Read on to find out...

So I was at Macy's today. After a brief chat with the SAs and vendor reps up in women's about top-selling perfumes, I asked one of the vendor reps if there was anything new in men's. They all told me that "Sean John has a new fragrance downstairs, in men's." Knowing which one it was, I said OK, and trotted off down the escalator.

There, I saw the tester for I Am King. I've heard the press... exclusive to Macy's for 3 months, and Estee Lauder wants it to beat or tie Acqua di Gio in US sales in its first year once it reaches full distribution. So, I spritzed it on. It smelled awfully familiar... like a fragrance that I've smelled and worn before, and that I once owned.

I then asked the SA if she liked it. She thought "It's OK... it reminds me of Clinique Happy for men." (As of lately, she likes the new D&G The One, Versace Pour Homme, and Gucci by Gucci.) Now, I didn't smell any similarity to Happy, but I then narrowed it down to some sort of niche scent. As I got a pretzel dog at Auntie Anne's (man, my stomach was running on empty), I figured it out: Just like Unforgivable ripped off Millesime Imperial, I Am King shamelessly rips off Silver Mountain Water! Sean John carbon-copies Creed again! Basically, this means that if you are a Creed connoisseur or just a Basenoter who wears SMW, in a few months time, you'll be experiencing the "Unforgivable Effect" all over again.

The bottom line: Will it sell? Yes. Will the hearts of Basenoters be broken by Diddy's latest "unforgivable" act to be "king" of the fragrance market? Yes.

[zztopp]

SMW, like MI, has a big following amongst the coast rappers and african american stars (Jamie Foxx said it was one of his faves in a recent issue of InStyle)... so yea, I am not surprised ..

I am not surprised it has "inspired" similar juices from Bond no. 9, and now Sean John .. its a brilliant formula, probably the complete modern realization of Jean LaPorte's groundbreaking berry based Mure et Musc concept ..

[luha]

Someone was trying to sell me a 3.4 oz for $40.0 the other day of this "I Am King" crap.
I didn't even want to smell it.
... and..I am ok with SMW.

Hmm..should I call this guy back?

[smellyliquid]

SMW smelling like Clinique Happy? Idonno.. ill have to check this one out myself. SMW is pretty good tho it was my first Creed

[Hyde65]

I didn't get any SMW at all. Maybe because I just smelled it on a card? All I smelled was grapefruit and some more grapefruit. And in a first for me dealing with SA's, she said, "yuck, all I smell is grapefruit." I was surprised she said something negative.

[irish]

"We could be heroes... just for one day"

[Scentronic]

Diddy, I hope you're reading this - because I want to bitch slap you.

[MFfan310]

Someone was trying to sell me a 3.4 oz for $40.0 the other day of this "I Am King" crap.
I didn't even want to smell it.
... and..I am ok with SMW.

Hmm..should I call this guy back?

With the economy swirling down the Kohler bowl, you can smell like SMW for a significant fraction of the price... unless you're not a fan of Diddy, why not?

[G.303]

I am not a fan of anything that SJ has done....I just don't care for the guy at all....His fragrances are a big rip off....Unforgivable lasts about 15 minutes at the most.....Not a fan....never will be.....Gary

[Mekanic]

Diddy, I hope you're reading this - because I want to bitch slap you.

I would like to help please.

Can we invite Oliver to the festivities?

[Rawk Lee]

Now this is some bitchassness.

[aeromatic]

I don't care about Sean John, if anything, I dislike him and don't want to support him, but if he sells a fragrance that's as good as something that costs 3 times as much, and people like it, then I'll buy it. (Unfortunately, it's not likely that I would get a chance to sample it before buying it.)

[Ruggles]

Are you surprised, I'm not.

[atrac]

Well for me, Unforgivable always smelled like SMW, so I need to check this stuff out pronto to see what kind of a mind f*ck it causes me!

[Basteri]

I despite the individual, a misogenous clown, a materialistic prick with nothing else in his agenda that making money at any cost. In that sense he is a poor rich man.
I give him the credit for his business skills, he smells the opportunities and take advantage of it, he is milking the celebrity cow to epic proportions.

I am not agree with knock offs , the ones that copy successful fragrances are opportunistic scavengers. Capitalizing on the effort and time invested by others should be prosecuted by the law.

[Amit]

Hilarious thread title

"I am King" will sell in thousands of bottles anyway, regardless we like it or not

[Agent Zero]

I'm very intrigued. I love SMW and the thought of not having to dish out tons of money kinda appeals to me. I've already got Unforgivable and enjoy it, so it's not like I could possibly sell out any more...

[anak]

SMW has NO GRAPEFRUIT character to it at all. I have not tried "I Am King" yet, but how is it someone wrote that the SA said all she gets is grapefruit if it smells ANYTHING like SMW? I did find Unforgivable to smell a lot like MI (minus the melon notes). It isn't long lasting, true, but neither is MI.

- Al

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Now this is some bitchassness.

LOL!

Are you surprised, I'm not.

And that, good Ruggles, is why we're the noobs and you're not!

Well for me, Unforgivable always smelled like SMW, so I need to check this stuff out pronto to see what kind of a mind f*ck it causes me!

Watch out, atrac! All of fragrance is collapsing into a singularity!

Hilarious thread title

And here I thought the name of the fragrance made no sense.

SMW has NO GRAPEFRUIT character to it at all. I have not tried "I Am King" yet, but how is it someone wrote that the SA said all she gets is grapefruit if it smells ANYTHING like SMW? I did find Unforgivable to smell a lot like MI (minus the melon notes). It isn't long lasting, true, but neither is MI.

- Al

OMG - it smells like Terre d'Hermès, too! Fragrance IS collapsing! RUN!!!

"We could be heroes... just for one day"

We are. Two days of comments and civilization remains intact. Bravo, BNers, for showing some class.

[Astaroth]

Two days of comments and civilization remains intact. Bravo, BNers, for showing some class.

Redneck Perfumisto, I, and a few others have been down this muddy road before. Do I believe that "Diddy" is capable of ripping off another Creed fragrance? Ummmm, you bet ...

[s0me0nesmind1]

This will never outsell AdG is all I have to say.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

This will never outsell AdG is all I have to say.

100% agreed. For all that can be said about it, AdG is a classic IMO. I've been knocked over the head by so many calone counterfeits and aquatic imitators, but AdG has withstood the test of time. Someday, when it has faded back to being an "old guy" classic scent, people will speak reverently of it on real-time video discussion boards.

Roja Dove discusses in his new book how everybody in the industry talks up their new scent as a "classic", but how few scents deserve to even be considered. I think either a revolutionary effect on the industry, or incredible popular love, is needed to achieve this status. A clear copy like IAK has almost zero chance of this. AdG has earned it already, and it's still going strong. Sean John knows how to ride a wave very well, but I don't think he can create a new one. Does anybody know who the perfumer is on this one? That's the key. Not having sniffed it, I'm taking MFfan at his word that this one is a copy, so even if a great nose did it, it's not classic-bound unless it just smells so damn good that all sins are forgiven.

[bigdogsleeping]

I think it a shame to steal someones elses hard work I sure he be the first to scream if someone stole his stuff. be yourself

[leor_77]

Unfortunately when I went to my local Macy's, they didn't have it, although the guy said that they should've had it by now and that they'll probably get it any day now. While I don't believe that this would be a carbon copy of Creed SMW yet simply because I have not smelled it yet, and that we don't have hordes of basenoters corroborating that it is a copy of a Creed (much like was done with MI), we'll just have to see.

Also, is there any thing that can be done legally to a fragrance is nearly identical to another one that has already been created?

[mtgprox05]

I think it a shame to steal someones elses hard work I sure he be the first to scream if someone stole his stuff. be yourself

He doesn't really have anything original to steal from.

[MFfan310]

Does anybody know who the perfumer is on this one? That's the key. Not having sniffed it, I'm taking MFfan at his word that this one is a copy, so even if a great nose did it, it's not classic-bound unless it just smells so damn good that all sins are forgiven.

The perfumers for I Am King are Karyn Khoury (senior VP of fragrance development at Estee Lauder, also responsible for Sensuous) and Trudi Loren (VP of corporate fragrance development, again at Estee Lauder, who is responsible for Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming, Hilfiger, Mustang Blue, and Delicious Night).

So no great noses were harmed in the making of this stink water.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

The perfumers for I Am King are Karyn Khoury (senior VP of fragrance development at Estee Lauder, also responsible for Sensuous) and Trudi Loren (VP of corporate fragrance development, again at Estee Lauder, who is responsible for Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming, Hilfiger, Mustang Blue, and Delicious Night).

So no great noses were harmed in the making of this stink water.

LOL! But seriously - these sound like corporate creatives, not the actual perfumer. I found a page on Fragrantica that lists these two, but note that Sensuous was done by Annie Buzantian [Firmenich] according to the BN database, and Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming was done by Stephen Nilsen. Based on their titles, I'm supposing that these ladies are the people who ran the project, sort of like Véronique Gautier and the people surrounding Jean-Claude Ellena in The Perfect Scent - not the actual perfumers. Maybe since Trudi Loren is listed as being a suit at IFF, I assume that's where the real perfumer is.

David Apel worked on Unforgivable and some of the flankers. I was half expecting him here, too.

[atrac]

Ugh, I ran over to Macy's to check it out and they haven't even heard of it yet. I guess Los Angeles is not as hip and up with the times as I thought.

[gmm150]

Diddy, I hope you're reading this - because I want to bitch slap you.

I second this. What an unoriginal looser he is.

[somesnapper]

The reason why I stopped wearing MI...
everyone thought i was wearing Unforgivable.

I guess i'll have to stop wearing SMW... my favorite cologne ever

[Hyde65]

The reason why I stopped wearing MI...
everyone thought i was wearing Unforgivable.

I guess i'll have to stop wearing SMW... my favorite cologne ever

I seriously didn't think it smelled like SMW, so don't empty your bottle just yet. I only smelled it on a card, but next time I'll have to try it on skin.

[DULLAH]

1st, Sean Combs gets zero respect from me as an artist.
And although I don't like the coconut-rum note in unforgivable black, or the longevity of the original unforguvable, I did like the increased longevity and added floral note of Multi-Platinum.

I'll have to smell "I am King".
If it's as long-lasting and fresh as SMW, but less feminine, I might have to buy a bottle.

[Ruggles]

Stick around for the irony free, I Am Queen.

[Stereotomy]

Ok, so no one who has actually smelled the stuff can say for sure it's not a SMW-ripoff yet? I'll wait.

The notes mentioned 'kir royale' - a cassis-based drink with champagne or bubbling white wine, which would indicate the blackcurrant in SMW. But the notes have been wrong before.

[Basteri]

He is very cleaver.
Lets face it 99% of the people buying fragrances ,at a regular shop, never heard or ever smelled Creed. For them Puff Diddy fragrances smell "fresh and new" they think they are indeed buying a novelty.
He knows Creed well, he knows Creed flagships are good and people crave it.
It is like all those thousand copies of the Rolex submariner.The design is flawless, an icon, therefore copied to exhaustion by many brands. I will not buy any of his fragrances on principle.

[Anthony87]

I actually dont mind Unjustified (rip-off of Unforgivable)
The funny thing is, its in a bottle thats half-way between Unforgivable and a Creed bottle!

[rjrober22]

well, I am a fan of "if it smells good on you, then wear it"
I actually liked the Unforgivable and black scents....I own MI and SMW as well....
and although I do see strong similarities between MI and unforgivable...it is NOT identical smelling to me.
I will probably get the I am King one as well...because it does probably smell nice.

[akshay03]

well, I am a fan of "if it smells good on you, then wear it"
I actually liked the Unforgivable and black scents....I own MI and SMW as well....
and although I do see strong similarities between MI and unforgivable...it is NOT identical smelling to me.
I will probably get the I am King one as well...because it does probably smell nice.

This rings of truth for me, too.

I have MI, Unforgivable, and SMW. If this IAK thing is good, I'll probably get it.

[ChuckW]

Agreed. If it smells good, buy it! This ain't religion, people!

[DULLAH]

Stick around for the irony free, I Am Queen.

AAAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA

No irony. None.

[Stereotomy]

The perfumers for I Am King are Karyn Khoury (senior VP of fragrance development at Estee Lauder, also responsible for Sensuous) and Trudi Loren (VP of corporate fragrance development, again at Estee Lauder, who is responsible for Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming, Hilfiger, Mustang Blue, and Delicious Night).

So no great noses were harmed in the making of this stink water.

Well, I think Missoni Acqua by Trudi Loren is great.

Turin/Sanchez agree: 4 stars for this aquatic.

http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/summer_2008.../the-nose.html

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Well, I think Missoni Acqua by Trudi Loren is great.

Turin/Sanchez agree: 4 stars for this aquatic.

http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/summer_2008.../the-nose.html

Thanks for the link, Stereotomy. I see she was also on the team that did Black Cashmere, too. The BN listed perfumer on that one (Rodrigo Flores-Roux) is also credited with both Varvatos scents, Zirh and Zirh Corduroy, Clinique Happy, and With Love...Hilary Duff. Well, I guess one has to pay the bills, no?

Of course, maybe she just brought along her old laboratory assistant this time. What's his name.... Igor?



Ah, well. Perhaps I'll shut up about the work of Trudi Loren, but not today.

[omniray]

i dont know what a creed smell.. ! even, i dont know how a bottle is !! so, if this guy could copy them, to me is ok !! is some near about how creed are !

[leor_77]

Agreed. If it smells good, buy it! This ain't religion, people!

Its really not about that, its more about those of us who want to smell unique from 99.9 % of the people out there, and that isn't gonna happen if one of those unique fragrances is copied and becomes a best seller. I don't really know why i'm ranting as I haven't even tried this one yet!

[atrac]

Ugh, I ran over to Macy's to check it out and they haven't even heard of it yet. I guess Los Angeles is not as hip and up with the times as I thought.

According to the official website, http://seanjohn-iamking.com/

...the cologne launches in December 2008. I wonder if some markets are getting early as a test?

[lilkcceleb]

i can not stand diddy now. he has the biggest ego but unforgivable does smell good and i dont even wanna smell I am King because SMW makes me very sick to my stomach. Not buying

[Stereotomy]

Of course, maybe she just brought along her old laboratory assistant this time. What's his name.... Igor?

Yeah, Igor sans Moustache.

[Perfume_Addict]

SMW has NO GRAPEFRUIT character to it at all. I have not tried "I Am King" yet, but how is it someone wrote that the SA said all she gets is grapefruit if it smells ANYTHING like SMW? I did find Unforgivable to smell a lot like MI (minus the melon notes). It isn't long lasting, true, but neither is MI.

- Al

I really should read the men's board more often! I had my BF test Unforgivable at Wal*Mart (yes, they have testers!) and bought it for him because I really liked it on him. It is quite light, but he doesn't like overpowering scents anyway. I LOVED MI when I first tried it (got a decant to wear myself) but it was ultimately too much melon. So its brilliant that whoever created Unforgivable took the best parts of MI and left the melon out.

I've never tried SMW but always wanted to ...now I can just go to the mall and try "I Am King" instead. Somehow I don't think I could make myself buy a fragrance for the BF called "I Am King".

[Perfume_Addict]

Its really not about that, its more about those of us who want to smell unique from 99.9 % of the people out there, and that isn't gonna happen if one of those unique fragrances is copied and becomes a best seller. I don't really know why i'm ranting as I haven't even tried this one yet!

This reminds me of the Fernando Llamas quote "I'd rather look good than feel good". Would you rather smell good or smell unique!

[jenson]

Well for me, Unforgivable always smelled like SMW, so I need to check this stuff out pronto to see what kind of a mind f*ck it causes me!

Firstly, Unforgivable doesnt smell anything like SMW. however, i have read it does smell like MI (which i haven't tested yet). Unforgivable on it's own, is a wonderful fragrance. i don't see any reason for it to be a not wearable kinds. unforgivable does have the top notes of ST Dupont Ph...which instead does smell like Declaration...the chain cud go longer. but, merely on the merits of this particular scent, it stands on its own coz it morphs in to a wonderful baby powderish, cloudy scent towards the base, which i just love. like Chuck and RJ pointed out earlier, buy the scent for it's merit and not for the face/name it stands for...

[scentimus]

Who really cares if it is perceived to smell like another fragrance! Would any of you actually wear a Sean John fragrance? 98% of this board wears exclusively niche fragrances or samples -

96% of the discussions are on the topics such as Montale's Silver Oud vs Mike Spieal's new niche Coffee Amber scent. The other 3% talk about the likes of the new Badgley Mischka for men is un-inspired and smells like Chrome which smells like CK one.

When “you’ turn the light of at night in bed is “I Am King” still weighing that heavy on your mind? Or do you just turn over on your pillow and sniff your wrist with you new sample of Mike Spieal’s new Coffee Amber scent wore to bed?

[denec]

Firstly, Unforgivable doesnt smell anything like SMW. however, i have read it does smell like MI (which i haven't tested yet). Unforgivable on it own, is a wonderful fragrance. i don't see any reason for it to be not wearable. unforgivable does have the top notes of ST Dupont Ph...which insteasd does smell like Declaration...the chain cud go longer. but merely on the merits of of this particular scent, it stands on its own coz it morphs in to a wonderful baby powdery, cloudy scent towards the base, which i just love. liek Chuck and RJ pointed out earlier, buy the scent for it's merit and not for the face/name it stands for...

I own unforgivable, to me it smells nothing like SMW

to me it smells like a cross between MI and Bond Wall St


I am curious what this new I am King smells like I might stop by the Macys here at 33rd and see if they have it

[irish]

Thanks for the link, Stereotomy. I see she was also on the team that did Black Cashmere, too. The BN listed perfumer on that one (Rodrigo Flores-Roux) is also credited with both Varvatos scents, Zirh and Zirh Corduroy, Clinique Happy, and With Love...Hilary Duff. Well, I guess one has to pay the bills, no?

Of course, maybe she just brought along her old laboratory assistant this time. What's his name.... Igor?



Ah, well. Perhaps I'll shut up about the work of Trudi Loren, but not today.

Ooooh another sexy nose...

No, I am not talking about Maurice Roucel. He shaved

[Igor01]

Of course, maybe she just brought along her old laboratory assistant this time. What's his name.... Igor?

Hey, what's wrong with Igors? We are people too!

[irish]

I did not come here to defend intellectual rights...
I came here to smell awesome and if dumb Sean John makes something good I will buy it.

[irish]

Hey, what's wrong with Igors? We are people too!

LOL

[atrac]

Firstly, Unforgivable doesnt smell anything like SMW.

I am beginning to wonder if the place I smelled SMW at was selling an imposter. I need to test it again at a different shop (which isn't easy since I don't frequent places that sell it). Beyond that, at the time I didn't own Unforgivable so I was comparing it to a co-worker who wore it, so there's actually too many variables for me to really make an informed comparison.

I'm really anxious to try "I Am King" now.

So it looks like only two people out of the rest of us actually have Macy's that carry it??

[denec]

just curious will this fragrance be next to unforgivable?

[smellyliquid]

its a well known fact that Puffy loves Creed, you can see bottles of it if you watch his older reality TV series in some of the camera pans where a bathroom of some kind is onscreen, plus he has admitted to it in interviews. At least the guy has taste!

it is ALSO a well known fact that when no.5 came out, everyone copied it for years after, caleche anyone ? of course... im sure that one is a "classic" to all the puffy bashers out there. hmm..

it is also a well known fact that Cuir Mauresque is Royal English Leather of Creed. its freakin' identical and no one is too upset about that.

Parfum Sacre is Or et Noir, even the same company copies its own past

if more people actually researched fragrance with more than their own memories, it would also become apparent that many hits of the 60's 70's 80's 90's are based on Coty and other classics of the 20's 30's etc. Of course, its "ok" to rip off stuff that old - isnt it people ??

I don't understand what anybody is expecting of this guy, hes not even a perfumer. He is not doing anything out of the ordinary, in fact brilliant business tactics. Do you really expect him to put forth a new classic? If aqua di gio is a classic, why no praise for the unsung hero New West, who did the calone thing before ? If we do not get so angry when mass market A rips off mass market B, or when Ellena rips his own self off like 4 times in a row - why do we get so mad at Diddy ?

I'm sure I know the reason of at least a few... It must have to do with his hippin and a hoppin and a bippin and a boppin.

people are tripping out and in the same sentence admitting theyve never even smelled it

it probably does smell like SMW but thats not the point anyways...

[Scentronic]

Let's form a mob and carry old-fashion farm implements and torches above our heads as we march to diddy's house to destroy him. This man represents all that is souless and wrong with modern society!

(PS-we're gonna hit paris' house on the way)