Diddy's now a pariah in the music industry, but his music may live on depending on these two factors: expert
For years, Sean "Diddy" Combs had been known to be one of the most successful, multifaceted artists in the industry. From producing multi-platinum records for various artists to founding Bad Boy Enterprises to throwing the most extravagant parties, the fallen music mogul arrested on multiple sex trafficking charges last month has been a topic of conversation for quite some time.
Despite nostalgic hits such as "I'll Be Missing You" and "Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down" and producing songs for stars like Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez, some fans are now questioning whether the allegations warrant a boycott of his music.
"So are we boycotting Diddy’s music for sure? If I stop listening to the songs he made/produced/collaborated on I’m going to lose 80% of the music from my era and I’m all about the throwbacks! Panicking!!" one X user wrote.
With Diddy's career and legacy in question, the popularity of his music is bound to take a hit.
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"It depends on two things — one, whether he is ultimately convicted; if so, on which charges; two, where we are in the ‘cancellation sine wave,’" Doug Elridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital, when asked if Diddy's music will be canceled.
"In terms of the former, the outcome of Diddy's trial will matter to a lot of people. Michael Jackson was acquitted in his criminal trial; 20 years later, R. Kelly was found guilty. Musically, the King of Pop is still popular around the world, while radio stations across America have been pressured to pull R. Kelly's records, even the iconic ones.
"The second caveat will be the social temperature of our country … when the Diddy case actually goes to trial," he added. "We saw dozens of big-name acts get shelved during the #MeToo movement, but the 'believe all women' mantra has seen considerable push-back over the last year or so.
"Another thing to consider is that Diddy did more producing, than performing, so to cancel him would also mean canceling popular acts like Biggie Smalls, Mase and others. It's not as simple as pulling old reruns of ‘The Cosby Show,'" Eldridge added, referencing Bill Cosby's series.
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Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor of Rolling Stone, shares the same sentiment.
"His own music, I think, will suffer. But every person he signed or produced? I don’t know if most people are that aware of all of those aspects of his history," he told USA Today, referencing Diddy's former artists, such as Mary J. Blige, Usher and others. "The starkness of what we’ve seen has put him in real trouble, but as far as people feeling comfortable with his music, that’s tough."
A New Jersey wedding DJ said that while the idea of playing Diddy songs might be "a slippery slope," he's willing to give the power to the audience.
"It’s best to leave it to the crowd," Nick Spinelli told the outlet. "If they stop reacting, I’ll stop playing it."
Despite the popularity, certain industry folks have pushed back, offering their personal thoughts on the rapper through song. From Diddy's former protégé Aubrey O'Day to Eminem and other hip-hop and rap artists, the father of seven has been called out in various ways throughout his decades-long career.
Here's a look at artists who have mentioned Diddy in their music.
Throughout the years, Aubrey O'Day has spoken out about her contentious history with the rapper on multiple occasions, often alluding to his past alleged abusive behavior.
"[Diddy] plays one of the dirtiest games there is around," O'Day previously told Cosmopolitan of her former boss. She rose to fame while appearing on the third season of Diddy's MTV show "Making the Band" in 2005.
More recently, with Diddy facing new sexual abuse allegations from 120 accusers, including minors, the Danity Kane alum spoke up on X, formerly Twitter, claiming his "behavior could've been stopped" but said his arrest is a "win for all women."
"His behavior could have been stopped long before things like this broke our hearts to read," she wrote on Oct. 1. "His abuse didn’t have to reach me & many others including women, men, & minors who will forever traumatize an entire industry."
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Last month, O'Day released a clip of an unreleased song, "Devil & Me," that she wrote in 2013. The artist released the song on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a split photo of her and Diddy,
"The devil and me, we had this thing we called an understanding / I'd give my soul, go ahead and feed on me / Just grant me power / I'm a willing victim just to be admired / Named your price and as soon as I signed, it was higher / There's no escape / This streets one way / Leading to a dead end, covered up in dead men / Wish I learned the lesson, would have never got in / I want to escape, but there's no way / There’s only a dead end, covered up in dead men / Everyone is left here feeling betrayed
"Go, If you meet him run away / Go, save yourself I'll take the blame / Fame is my fate / Fame is my fate."
After an alleged "scuffle" with Diddy in 2013, J. Cole seemingly called out the rapper in his 2021 track, "Let Go My Hand."
"My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would've thought it? / I bought that n---- album in seventh grade and played it so much / You would've thought my favorite rapper was Puff / Back then I ain't know s---, now I know too much / Ignorance is bliss and innocence is just ignorance before it's introduced to currency and clips / Or bad licks that have a n---- servin' three to six, s---."
According to Complex, the two got into a physical altercation after Diddy tried to confront Kendrick Lamar over his claims of being the "King of New York," which he rapped about in his song, "Control." J. Cole reportedly intervened when Diddy attempted to pour a drink on Lamar, prompting an altercation.
A representative for J. Cole did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Eminem has been name-dropping Diddy for years, but the latest mentions come from his new album, "The Death of Slim Shady," which was released in July.
On the track "Fuel," Eminem raps, "I'm like a R-A-P-E-R (Yeah) / Got so many S-As (S-As), S-As / Wait, he didn't just spell the word, ‘Rapper’ and leave out a P, did he? (Yep)." He is seemingly alluding to Diddy's sex trafficking allegations with the play on words.
In the same song, Eminem called out Diddy for his alleged involvement in Tupac Shakur's 1996 murder.
"R.I.P., rest in peace, Biggie / And Pac, both of y'all should be living (Yep) / But I ain't tryna beef with him (Nope) / 'Cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D did him."
Duane "Keffe D" Davis was indicted in September 2023 on a charge of open murder with use of a deadly weapon along with a gang enhancement, prosecutors revealed during a press conference. In 2018, Davis made media statements that "reinvigorated" the investigation into Shakur's death, police said at the time.
In 2008, Combs denied a report by the Los Angeles Times that his associates were responsible for the 1994 robbery and shooting of Shakur at a New York recording studio or that he had known about the attack in advance.
"The story is a lie," the hip-hop mogul said in a statement at the time. "It is beyond ridiculous and completely false. Neither (the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.) nor I had any knowledge of any attack before, during or after it happened. … I am shocked that the Los Angeles Times would be so irresponsible as to publish such a baseless and completely untrue story."
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In Eminem's "Antichrist," the rapper seemingly called out the release footage of Casandra "Cassie" Ventura being assaulted by Combs in 2016.
"Next idiot ask me is getting his a-- beat worse than Diddy did ----," he raps, while censoring out Cassie's name. "But on the real, though (What?) / She prolly ran out the room with his f----- dildo (Come here) / He try to field goal punt her, she said to chill (No)."
A representative for Eminem did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
In 2006, 50 Cent released a track, "The Bomb," that referenced the 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. and accused Diddy of being involved. Biggie, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was shot during a drive-by shooting and died in the arms of one of Combs' bodyguards at the time.
"I guess this means I won’t be invited to the white parties in the Hamptons," 50 rapped in the song.
Shortly after Combs' arrest last month, 50 Cent appeared to have responded in a social media post.
"Here I am keeping good company with @thedrewbarrymoreshow and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house," he captioned a photo alongside Drew Barrymore. The rapper was seemingly referencing the "more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant" discovered during raids at Combs' homes in March.
A representative for 50 Cent did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
In April, Kesha performed her debut hit single "Tik Tok" without the infamous line "Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy." The singer changed the lyric to "Wake up in the morning feeling like, f--- P. Diddy."
In August, Kesha, 37, revealed she made the lyric change permanent.
"TiK ToK was the first single that I put into this world that had my voice AND my name credited," Kesha wrote on X, formerlyTwitter. "I remember making it fun and happy because that’s how I felt and wanted others to feel. What I’m so proud of is that’s how this song STILL makes me feel, through it all, and those are emotions I want all of us to connect to.
"I will re-record it when I have legal rights to! Now, my first baby stands for so much. It stands for fiercely protecting my fun and unadulterated joy, in myself and in others. The whole ride has been absolute insanity, but the JOY is still riding."
A representative for Kesha did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Diddy was arrested and charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars and a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.
Combs appeared in Manhattan federal court where he pleaded not guilty. Not only was Combs denied the proposed $50 million bail, he was sent to jail immediately after the hearing.
The legal team representing the embattled rapper filed a bail appeal Tuesday morning. The appeal, obtained by Fox News Digital, asked the judge to approve a pretrial release.
One day later, Diddy's lawyers claimed he was deprived of the right to a fair trial through a series of "unlawful government leaks" in new motions filed Wednesday.
Combs requested an evidence hearing to examine alleged government misconduc with the leaks of "discovery emails, documents and records in the possession of the government (including DHS) related to these leaks)," according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
He accused Department of Homeland Security agents of providing "false and prejudicial statements" to various press outlets over the last seven months after the raids on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles, where his sons were "handcuffed and manhandled by federal agents armed with assault rifles."
Prior to the U.S. attorney's press conference in September, Combs' attorney said they planned to fight for the rapper to be released.
"His spirits are good. He's confident," Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the courthouse Sept. 17. "He is dealing with this head-on, the way he's dealt with every challenge in his life. And he's not guilty. He's innocent of these charges. He's going to plead not guilty, obviously. He's going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers. And I expect a long battle with a good result for Mr. Combs.
"I'm going to fight like hell to get him released, and he should be released," Agnifilo added, "with all that he's done and coming here voluntarily."
Diddy is scheduled to stand trial May 5, 2025.
Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz and Tracy Wright contributed to this post.