Questions about future of Diddy’s music after sex crime charges

LOS ANGELES (AP):

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs created a hit-making empire with big-name performers, earning his place as a savvy music mogul and becoming a three-time Grammy winner, while securing high-profile deals across other industries.

But now, Combs’ kingdom is collapsing under charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He was arrested in New York on September 16 and accused in an indictment of using his “power and prestige” to induce female victims and male sex workers in “freak offs”, along with allegations of abuse dating back to 2008.

If convicted, Combs could face at least 15 years in prison. He is awaiting trial after pleading not guilty.

Since several allegations surfaced last year, Combs’ public image has taken a nosedive as major deals slipped away: He stepped down as Revolt TV chairman, then later sold off his majority stake in the company. He reportedly lost a reality show with Hulu and his influential fashion line, Sean John, no longer can be found on the Macy’s department store website.

After footage emerged from 2016 of Combs’ hotel hallway attack of then girlfriend R&B singer Cassie, he lost the Key to the City of New York, Peloton paused the usage of his music, and he saw his honorary degree from Howard University evaporate in disgrace. His charter school, Capital Preparatory School in Harlem, also cut ties with him.

Combs may have lost his major deals but his music remains untouched, at least for now.

WHERE HIS MUSIC STANDS

Combs’ Bad Boy Records might be associated with 1990s artistes like Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Ma$e and 112, but his label was still in the mix with recent releases by a couple of popular performers.

Last year, Combs released his first solo studio album since 2006 with The Love Album: Off the Grid, and Janelle Monae put out The Age of Pleasure through his label. Both projects were Grammy-nominated.

In 2022, Machine Gun Kelly dropped his album Mainstream Sellout under the Bad Boy umbrella, too.

Despite his arrest, Combs’ music is still available on several major streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The streamers have yet to comment on their plans for how his music will be featured on their platform in the future.

REACTION FROM PEERS

Some expressed concern for Combs’ children, while others feel shame over his alleged missteps and actions.

Entertainers, from 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Shyne, Aubrey O’Day, Charlamagne tha God and the Notorious B.I.G.’s mother, have publicly shared their thoughts.

“I feel for his kids,” LL Cool J told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Rapper 50 Cent took a jab in a social media post. He trolled Combs after he learnt that law enforcement seized drugs, videos and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant during raids at his Los Angeles and Florida homes.

Shyne, a former Bad Boy artiste, said he finds no satisfaction in seeing Combs potentially facing prison time, despite past trouble between them.

“This is someone who destroyed my life,” said Shyne, who was convicted of assault and other charges stemming from a 1999 Manhattan nightclub shooting. “But do I take any joy or any satisfaction with what he’s going through? Absolutely not,” he continued.

Combs was acquitted of charges that he took an illegal gun into the club and tried to bribe his driver to take the fall for the weapon. However, Shyne was convicted of assault and other charges in the shooting and served about eight years in prison.

Now going by the name Moses Barrow, he is a member of the House of Representatives in his native Belize, where his father was once prime minister.

After B.I.G.’s mother, Voletta Wallace, saw Combs’ attack of Cassie, she wanted to “slap the daylights” out of him. She felt embarrassed for Combs, who, along with her son, played a huge role in shaping 1990s East Coast hip-hop.

But, are people cancelling Diddy’s music? The short answer is mostly no. However, listeners are proceeding with caution. Some online are questioning whether it’s time to back away from his records. Others say that could be challenging, especially since many of Combs’ biggest hits are collaborations with other artistes.