‘Why?’: Fans Debate After Diddy Dubs Draya Michele ‘Hustler of the Year’

Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ birthday celebration is always the talk of the town and this year was no different.

Following his Nov. 4 born day, the hip-hop and media mogul celebrated turning 51 over the weekend with his sons Quincy Brown, Christian King Combs, Justin Combs, close friends, and beautiful women, including Draya Michele.  

Draya, 35, attended what appeared to be a pool party with Diddy and others, flexing her cheeks in a leopard swimsuit. 

Draya Michele: (Photo: @drayamichele/Instagram)

While it was Puffy’s celebration, he ended up praising Draya. Looking like royalty in a white robe, Diddy said: “An extra shot to Draya for hustler of the year.”

Everyone in and outside of the pool raised their glasses and toasted before gulping down what was more than likely Ciroc, the rap star’s liquor brand. 

While Diddy’s statement was commendable coming from a notable entrepreneur and entertainer like himself, many fans were left puzzled about how Draya earned that title from Puffy. 

“Wonder how she got that title 👀.”

“Why is she the hustler of the year???”

“Yes, hustling for the next to come up.”

Some fans came to Draya’s defense, seeing that she is an owner of her swimsuit line, Mint Swim, founded in 2011. The line became a million-dollar company in 2015, according to an interview she did with HypeHair. 

“She is a hustler. She’s been minding her business and building her empire. You all be hating on her for no reason.”

“No, Draya Slander will be allowed.” 

“She took her platform and created a thriving business, and you all asking how? Mint swim crawled, so a lot of these Insta boutiques could walk ijs 🤷🏾‍♀️.”

Love her or hate her, the former “Basketball Wives” television personality seems to be doing well for herself and living her best life — or at least she is to Diddy — and the mother of two is working hard. 

The ABS Newsletter — Stories that matter, in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top