It turns out that The Notorious B.I.G., one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures, was getting ready to part ways with Diddy and Bad Boy Records before his untimely death in 1997.
A recent report from Rolling Stone has revealed that Biggie was frustrated over his publishing rights, pushing him to consider leaving the label. According to the report, one of Biggie’s lawyers alleged that Diddy was stubbornly holding onto those rights. “I will never give it up until I’m dead and my bones are crushed into powder,” Diddy reportedly told the lawyers, as per “The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop,” quoted by Rolling Stone.
Hip-hop photographer Monique Bunn confirmed the rumors, asserting, “[Biggie] was absolutely about to leave Puff. I know for a fact [because] he told me that.” Another source added to the speculation, saying, “Everybody wanted to leave Puffy. Everybody leaves him.”
In addition to the revelations about Biggie, Rolling Stone’s investigation uncovered new allegations against Diddy dating back to his years at Howard University. A friend of Diddy’s college girlfriend claimed that he once showed up at a dorm in a belligerent state, causing a scene until his girlfriend came downstairs. When she arrived, he allegedly hit her with a belt. Multiple other witnesses reportedly corroborated this incident.
Diddy’s lawyer, Jonathan Davis, responded to the Rolling Stone article, stating that his client “cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable.”
As the claims about The Notorious B.I.G. planning to leave Bad Boy Records and the new allegations against Diddy come to light, the hip-hop community is left to grapple with a more complicated narrative surrounding these iconic figures.
