P. Diddy went from Uptown Records as an intern to developing groups like Jodeci and singer, Mary J. Blige, to being one of the most highly paid moguls in hip hop. According to the Daily Mail, Diddy is estimated to have a fortune of $580 million and is on the Forbes list as one of the world’s richest hip hop stars. But is Diddy sitting in the lap of luxury as a result of the downfall of artists on his label? While Diddy traveled all over the world living the “good life”, many of his prize artists have had major changes happen, while under the direction of the ultimate “Bad Boy”.We know that the worst happened in 1997 when the Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down, execution style. It was reported at the time that Diddy was traveling behind the rapper’s SUV. But let’s fast forward to 1999, when Diddy was dating Jennifer Lopez and the nightclub shooting, that some say allegedly ended their relationship.
Shyne was signed to Bad Boy Records and he was starting to make a name for himself. But his time with Bad Boy was cut short when he was sentenced to almost ten years in prison, for attempted murder in the nightclub incident. The rift between Shyne and Diddy, who claims that he took the fall for Diddy, is still apparent. The former rapper is now living in Jerusalem after converting to Orthodox Judaism. He has even changed his name to Moses Michael Levi.
The rapper, Black Rob who appeared on Diddy’s “Bad Boy 4 Life” single, had his career blocked by illness and unpaid child support, in 2004. But it did not end there for Black Rob , as he received seven years for grand larceny. There is also, G-Dep who is currently awaiting an appeal for a sentence of 15 years for murder, as a result of a shooting in 1993. The rapper voluntarily turned himself in, in 2010.
Rapper Loon, was arrested in Belgium in 2011 for drug trafficking as a result of allegedly distributing heroin in North Carolina. Loon is set to go on trial in July. It is not only the rap side of Bad Boy that has gotten a little shaky, but many of the R&B groups that were under the tutelage of Diddy dispersed, after short stints with the mogul. The most infamous split was that of Danity Kane and Diddy’s bad business relationship with group member Aubrey O’Day.
However, we cannot leave out the success that Diddy has accomplished over the past few years with artists like Janelle Monae or his group Dirty Money. But eyebrows have to go up, as it seems that almost all of the rappers that the mogul has brought on board have not been very successful in steering clear of trouble. But is Diddy to blame, or does he know that the rap artists he picks are not the best mainstay business investments? Are the rappers that Diddy brings in just there to build his Diddy’s image and then be thrown out like last week’s trash? It’s really hard to say.