Legally changing his middle name to Love, posting messages about Black excellence on a regular basis and speaking about the importance of Black artists owning their own work.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has done all of those things, but according to what his former artist Mase is saying now, Combs’ actions are just a front.
On Jan. 31, Mase posted a lengthy message about Combs trapping him in a bad business deal as a teenager, and it’s something he still won’t let him out of, according to Mase.
After Mase developed a buzz around New York City with his group Children of the Corn — which also included members Cam’ron and the late rapper Big L — he signed to Combs’ Bad Boy Records in the latter part of the ’90s.
Mase and Combs then created a lot of success together, which only solidified Bad Boy as being one of the most dominant record labels at the time.
Mase’s message comes shortly after Combs was honored as the 2020 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree on Saturday, Jan. 25.
During that speech, the music mogul said “black music has never been respected by the Grammys,” and he wants to ensure that black music, as well as black culture, gets properly advanced.
“For me to be worthy of receiving an icon award, I have to use my experience to help to make a change,” said Combs.
When Mase addressed those words on Instagram, he included a tweet that Meek Mill posted on Jan. 28, where the Philly rapper blasted music executives for signing young black kids to what he called “slave contracts.”
“@diddy I heard your #Grammy speech about how u are now for the artist and about how the artist must take back control,” Mase wrote in his message … Before we ask of other ethnicities to do us right we should do us as black people better.”
“U keep screaming black excellence and love but I know love isn’t free,” he added, “So I offered u 2m in cash just a few days ago to sell me back my publishing .”
“Your response was if I can match what the EUROPEAN GUY OFFER him that would be the only way I can get it back. Or else I can wait until I’m 50 years old and it will revert back to me from when I was 19 years old,” wrote Mase. “This is not black excellence at all. When our own race is enslaving us.”
Combs hasn’t responded to Mase as of yet, but many seemed to side with the “Harlem World” rapper, and they joined him in calling Combs out.
“It’s always the biggest industry rats that gives speeches about integrity and values,” wrote one Instagram user.
“Damn that’s f’d up I look at @diddy in a whole nother light now🤦🏽♂️,” wrote someone else.
“In front of the cameras they talk a good one about empowering black folks while robbing their artists at the same damn time,” a third person commented.
“People have been saying this about @diddy for ages,” a fourth stated.
