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Atlantic
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
A Requiem for Puff Daddy
Black cool is one of America's great innovations, right up there with basketball, blue jeans, and the internet. It blends several forms—music, sports, fashion, speech, ways of cutting through space—into a wholly distinctive, globally influential aesthetic. There are French fashion houses in thrall to silhouettes first spotted in Harlem, Japanese men who have devoted their lives to spinning jazz records in Shibuya, and lavish murals of Tupac Shakur as far apart as Sydney and Sierra Leone. Sean Combs, the disgraced record mogul, certainly did not invent Black cool. But like Miles Davis, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan before him—and like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and many others who followed—for a flicker of time he was its most formidable ambassador. That moment coincided with my adolescence, which is why the revelation of Combs's extravagant cruelties —the depravity with which he used all that he'd gained—has left my childhood friends and me feeling so betrayed. We had looked up to Diddy, whom I will always think of as Puff Daddy or Puffy. When we were at our most impressionable, he taught us what to want and gave us a model for how to behave and succeed. Seeing him fall apart in our middle age feels like a kind of heartbreak. The verve and swagger he injected into our childhood dreams have curdled into something rancid. Certain photographs of Puffy are permanently etched into my memory. In 1995, dipped in a flowing black-and-gold Versace Barocco silk chemise, liberally unbuttoned to flex a thick Cuban link anchored by a diamond-encrusted Jesus piece—the definitive signifier of inner-city affluence. September '96, on the cover of Vibe magazine: head peering from behind his greatest protégé, the Notorious B.I.G.; signature blackout shades; a perfect S-curl relaxing the weft of his fade. The cool he exuded in these moments was inspirational, even masterful. My friends and I had never seen anything like it so fully pervade the culture, certainly not from someone we felt we could relate to. I have not admired Combs for decades now, since well before his trial this year. But I will always be partial to the Puff Daddy of the '90s: from 1993, when he founded his record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, through the spectacular rise and death of the Notorious B.I.G., and peaking around 1998 during hip-hop's 'shiny-suit era,' which he pioneered with Ma$e and the Lox. By the time I got to college, Puffy was even wealthier, and my cultural references had begun to change. I vaguely remember the preposterous images of him strolling beneath a blazing Mediterranean sun while his valet spread a parasol over his head. He was mainly in the news because of a shooting at Club New York, which resulted in bribery and gun-possession charges against him and a highly publicized trial (he was acquitted). For my friends and me, his shocking newness had begun to fade. Back in his prime, though, Puffy conveyed a sense of youthful ambition that we revered. He was able to transition from sidekick and hype man to dealmaker and multiplatinum performer. Before turning 25, he had founded his own culture-defining business—soon-to-be empire—and knew precisely how to leverage his growing fortune into social capital. More than his success, we were struck by two qualities that seemed novel to us. The first was the amount of effort he openly displayed, which counterintuitively amplified his cool. Puffy made no pretense of obscuring the maniacal work required to achieve his goals. When he closed a million-dollar deal, he slammed the phone down and screamed. (Years later, he would become one of the original hustle-culture influencers on Twitter.) He showed us that flourishing was not a condition one had to be born into—that luxury and labor were connected. The second quality was his ability to make Black people and Black culture—even its less compromising, more street-inflected iteration—feel at home in places, such as the Hamptons, that had not previously welcomed them. Puffy's motto 'I'ma make you love me' felt innocent and aspirational to us, not least because he actually achieved it. We were still many years away from realizing just what he would do with all the love he was given. Helen Lewis: The non-exoneration of Diddy Puff Daddy seemed to us then like a Black man utterly free in a moment of expanding opportunity. Before the age of social media, before we'd ever stepped on a plane, Puffy represented our first intimation of an unrestricted way of being-for-self in the world. On the one hand, he was the antidote to the soul-crushing squareness of upwardly mobile middle-class life that we so feared—degrees, office jobs, bills. On the other hand, he was perfectly assimilated into the good life of the American mainstream, to which we desperately craved access. This made him dramatically unlike his peers. Tupac and Biggie were confrontational, and look where it got them. Rap entrepreneurs such as Master P and Brian 'Baby' Williams were rich but ghettoized; any number of establishments wouldn't seat them. Puffy, by contrast, looked like a marvelous solution to the problem of success and authenticity that my friends and I had been struggling to solve. Yet we were suffering from a kind of myopia. And it wasn't unique to us. The generation after us put their faith in Kanye West, whose most recent contribution to the culture is a single titled 'Heil Hitler.' Role models are like seasons. One passes irretrievably into the next, but for a moment they might reveal possibilities that outlast and surpass them.
The South African
22-07-2025
- The South African
Diddy takes strategic steps to obtain a lighter sentence
Is Diddy looking to dupe the system or improve his character? image: Sean 'Diddy' Combs is already looking to rehabilitate his image ahead of his sentencing in October. The rapper and mogul has been embroiled in a heavily publicised federal lawsuit that has left his fans and the public at large questioning his life choices and the strength of his character. HOW DIDDY IS LOOKING TO MEND THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTIONS OF HIM Diddy, currently being detained at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Centre, has decided to enrol in two programs while incarcerated. ADVERTISEMENT These are, namely, the Dr Harry K. Wexler drug abuse treatment program and the STOP Program, which focuses on domestic and dating violence prevention. These programs are widely used in federal facilities. The STOP program is aimed at educating inmates on the effects of domestic violence and sexual assault. The Wexler drug abuse program is focused on recovery and accountability when it comes to matters of drug abuse. Both programs have a high success rate for those who complete the courses on offer. WHY WOULD DIDDY THINK THIS MOVE WILL HELP HIS PUBLIC IMAGE? Beyond looking to mend public perceptions, sources close to the case suggest that this is a strategic move in the hopes of exhibiting remorse and regret for his actions. Doing this before sentencing is also an attempt to garner some leniency. Legal experts note that volunteering to engage in programs like this could influence any outcomes as it pertains to his sentencing. Rehabilitation of this nature especially in federal cases can be a mitigating factor. WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT The American hip hop icon has endured the most challenging time in his career over the last two years. Things reached a fever pitch in July when Diddy was convicted on two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was acquitted of the more serious charges involving racketeering and sex trafficking. The prosecution is still hoping for a sentence of four years, while his defence team is advocating for a lighter term of around 15 to 21 months. Diddy's lawyers will use his enrollment in rehabilitation programs as evidence of him looking to better himself. ADVERTISEMENT DIDDY'S LEGAL WOES ARE STILL FAR FROM OVER These latest reports around Diddy have raised questions as to his intentions. Are these genuine moves to better himself or simply an exercise in public relations? The Bad Boy Entertainment founder still has over 120 civil lawsuits pending. DO YOU THINK DIDDY IS LOOKING TO GENUINELY ADDRESS HIS SHORTCOMINGS, OR IS THIS JUST A STUNT TO INFLUENCE HIS SENTENCING? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean Combs Alternate Juror Speaks Out
An alternate juror in Sean Combs' criminal sex trafficking and racketeering trial has spoken out following the mogul's acquittal on the more serious charges, saying the footage of Combs attacking Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel did not weigh too heavily in the context of the charges. 'I mean, it was a very bad video,' the 37-year-old man, who works at the United Nations in the counter-terrorism office, told CNN anchor Laura Coates on Thursday. But Combs 'wasn't charged with domestic violence.' More from Rolling Stone Beating RICO Charges Doesn't Make Diddy a Hero How the Sean Combs Verdict May Have 'Chilling Effect' on Cases for Abuse Victims Charlize Theron on Why She Won't Reveal Name of Director She Alleges Sexually Harassed Her The man, who CNN only identified as George, said he would've likely reached the same conclusion as the eight men and four women who decided Combs' fate. 'I understood the final verdict,' he said. 'I took a copious amount of notes, overall, 350 pages worth of notes … and looking back at the evidence, I probably would have reached the same conclusion as the other jurors … I think there was always a little bit of doubt.' On Wednesday morning, Combs dropped to his knees in prayer after he was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and the sex trafficking of Ventura and Combs' girlfriend, 'Jane.' Although the Bad Boy Entertainment founder escaped a life sentence, he still faces prison time after being found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Although the juror was not part of the group that deliberated, he was the first member of the jury pool, which included six alternates, who shared their thoughts after sitting through eight weeks of grueling testimony from 34 witnesses. He also spoke about the sealed freak-off videos of Combs' girlfriends having sex with male escorts. Both prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and Combs' high-powered defense team played the explicit videos, but the man said each side showed different tapes. Tripping over his words when trying to describe the explicit videos, the man said they were 'riveting' but some portions were 'tame.' 'They were very graphic, but I think overall, it was looking at it from one side,' the man offered. 'It was definitely riveting and eye-opening.' However, he seemed to contradict himself a few seconds later when he said some videos, while depicting sexual activity, didn't show anything 'too graphic.' 'It didn't seem forced,' he added. 'It was actually, like, pretty tame. It was just a lot of rubbing oil.' Prosecutors claimed Combs coerced his girlfriends Ventura and Jane to participate in 'freak-offs,' where the women would have sex with male escorts while Combs masturbated and filed the encounters. Both women testified they often felt obligated to perform during these days-long sex marathons, taking mood-changing drugs to dissociate from the experience. (Combs denied the allegations.) Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting sentencing. A hearing on his sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8. His team has requested an expedited sentencing, as they plan to push for a minimum sentence for the one-time billionaire. Speaking to members of the press following the verdict, Combs' lead attorney Marc Agnifilo said they weren't 'nearly done fighting' in the case. 'We're not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man to his family.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Sky News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Diddy trial live: Sean Combs awaits bail decision after conviction on prostitution offences - but is cleared of most serious charges
22:02:19 Bail hearing to begin shortly We're expecting Diddy's bail hearing to begin in the next few moments. Lawyers have started gathering inside the courtroom and the rapper's family have taken their seats, taking up the entire second row of the gallery behind Combs. A reminder, his lawyers have asked for him to be released as he awaits sentencing after he was cleared of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, Prosecutors have rejected that request. 21:48:33 US govt might have 'overplayed hand' with racketeering charge, criminal attorney says US criminal attorney Eric Farris has told Sky News the racketeering conspiracy charge, which Sean Combs has been cleared of, was always going to be complicated. He also answers the question of domestic violence, which has come up during the trial and is something Combs's defence admitted to - so why wasn't he charged with this? Firstly, the racketeering laws were designed for "the mafia or street gangs", Farris says, and in this case the government attemped to apply it to the hip-hop mogul's business, Bad Boy Entertainment. "But what they had to prove was that there was a criminal enterprise, multiple affiliates who had agreed with one another to engage in crime," he says. "Well, there hadn't been any co-conspirators charged, and the government didn't call as witnesses any of those primary affiliates. And so I think the jury was left wondering, hey, if this is a criminal enterprise, why is there only one alleged criminal in it?" Domestic violence is usually a state charge - this case was a federal one, brought by the government. "And I think the federal government wanted to bring the most serious charges they could. But but perhaps they overplayed their hand a bit." 21:21:18 Diddy's family outside court earlier We also have pictures of Sean "Diddy" Combs's family outside court after the verdict was confirmed. His mother, Janice, has been in court to support him throughout the trial. 21:17:58 Sketches of Diddy in court for verdict Here are some more sketches from the courtroom today, with the first showing Sean "Diddy" Combs leading his family in a prayer before the verdict was read. His mother Janice Combs and his six eldest children have been in court to support him. As the verdict was delivered, the hip-hop mogul raised his hands in prayer. 21:10:50 Diddy bail hearing coming up - and lawyers expected to speak outside court There has been a bit of a lull over the last few hours as we await a decision on whether or not Sean "Diddy" Combs will be released on bail ahead of sentencing. A hearing on this will take place at 10pm UK time. Defence lawyers say Combs has been a model prisoner and poses no flight risk, while prosecutors say the opposite. A lawyer for Cassie has also submitted a letter to the court, saying she believes Combs "is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community". Combs's lawyers have indicated they will speak outside court later on. The hip-hop mogul will be sentenced at a later hearing on a date still to be set. 20:27:17 Defence previously argued transportation for prostitution charge was racist Three months before the start of the trial, lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs attemped to get a transportation for prostitution charge against him dismissed. At that time, he only faced one count - as a second was added in April. In their filing to the court in February, lawyers for Combs said he had been subject to a "racist" prosecution - "singled out because he is a powerful black man" and was being prosecuted "for conduct that regularly goes unpunished". The rapper's legal team claimed there had "never been a similar prosecution" under the Mann Act, the federal law the count falls under, which is also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act. Combs has now been found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution, but cleared of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex-trafficking. 19:57:08 Diddy is not ready 'to re-enter society safely or responsibly', stylist and witness tells judge Deonte Nash, a stylist who worked with both Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie Ventura - and gave evidence during the trial - has also written a letter to the judge over the proposed bail before sentencing. During his testimony, Nash detailed several incidents of alleged violence inflicted on Cassie by Combs during their relationship. On one occasion, Diddy turned up at her LA flat, "grabbed her by the hair", "kicked her" and "hit her pretty hard", he told the court. She hit her head on a bed frame and suffered a gash to her forehead and eyebrow, he added. Nash also said Combs was violent towards him. Now, in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, he has expressed his "grave concern" over the prospect of Combs being released from prison ahead of sentencing. "While I appreciate the fairness you have shown throughout this proceeding, I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward," he said. "Mr Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behaviour. "Over the years, he has repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability, and each time this has only reinforced his sense of impunity. If he is released now, I have no doubt he will see it as yet another licence to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him." Nash said he does not believe Combs is ready "to re-enter society safely or responsibly". 19:36:45 Cassie believes Diddy is 'likely to pose a danger', lawyer says Doug Wigdor, who represents Cassie Ventura, has submitted a letter asking the court to deny Sean "Diddy" Combs's release on bail. In the letter, Wigdor referenced part of the US's Bail Reform Act to say that detention is "mandatory" after convictions on the charges Combs has been found guilty of. Cassie "believes that Mr Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community," he added. 19:31:54 Prosecutors indicate sentence could be lower than maximum of 20 years In their letter arguing for Sean "Diddy" Combs to be denied bail, prosecutors also set out details for the sentencing range. The charges of transportation for prostitution carry a sentence of up to 10 years each, and prosecutors earlier indicated they would be looking for the maximum sentence. In their letter, though, they say that after preliminary calculations the sentencing range should be "at least" 51 to 63 months - so roughly four to five years in prison. However, they go on to say guidelines may be higher than this as they have not yet had adequate time to consider all the details. Combs has already served more than nine months in prison. 19:07:25 Diddy can't prove he is not a flight risk, or that he does not pose any danger, prosecutors say We have now received the letter from the government to Judge Arun Subramanian, arguing their case for keeping Sean "Diddy" Combs in prison while he awaits sentence. "Over the course of seven weeks, the jury heard evidence of the defendant's violence, interstate transportation of numerous individuals for prostitution, drug use and distribution, and attempts to escape law enforcement detection," they say. "This conduct spanned two decades. At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts." Prosecutors refer in their letter to admissions of drug use and domestic violence made by the defence during the case. They also highlight details of federal raids on Combs's homes in March 2024, during which "law enforcement recovered narcotics and three separate firearms with defaced serial numbers", they say. They also argue Combs "cannot meet his burden to show by clear and convincing evidence that he is not likely to flee or pose a danger to any other person or the community". The judge will decide whether or not to grant Combs bail until his sentencing later this evening, at 10pm UK time.
Mint
02-07-2025
- Mint
What does 'racketeering' mean? One of the main charges Sean 'Diddy' Combs faced explained
Sean "Diddy" Combs secured a partial victory in his high-profile federal trial after a jury acquitted him of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. The music mogul, who faced life in prison if convicted of those counts, was instead found guilty on two lesser charges of transporting people for prostitution. Prosecutors had argued Combs ran a criminal "enterprise" using his Bad Boy Entertainment empire to coerce women into drug-fueled "freak-off" parties with male escorts. But jurors rejected the racketeering claim, the trial's most contentious charge, after deadlocking Tuesday amid "unpersuadable opinions." Legal experts suggest jurors likely didn't see Combs' staff as co-conspirators in a mafia-style operation, a key requirement under the RICO law. Racketeering charges under the RICO Act require proving a pattern of at least two crimes within 10 years by a structured criminal group. Originally designed to combat the mafia, like convicting Gambino boss John Gotti, RICO has since been applied to cases ranging from R. Kelly's sex trafficking ring to FIFA bribery scandals. Prosecutors claimed Combs' team facilitated crimes like kidnapping, arson, and obstruction. But the jury's acquittal suggests they saw Combs as a "sole individual" rather than the leader of an organized enterprise. Legal analyst Lorraine Gauli-Rufo notes RICO cases demand massive resources to untangle complex criminal webs, and the high bar for proof often leads to overreach. The verdict may chill future trafficking prosecutions against powerful figures. Despite the acquittals, Combs isn't walking free. He faces up to 10 years per prostitution count under the Mann Act, an anti-sex-trafficking law. Prosecutors seek a 5-year sentence, citing guidelines, while his defense argues for just 2 years. A judge will decide his fate later this year. Immediately after the verdict, Combs knelt in prayer and thanked jurors, but prosecutors urged he remain jailed until sentencing, calling him a danger to victims. The trial exposed brutal details: Surveillance video showed Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a 2016 hotel attack, and witnesses described him bribing staff $100,000 to hide evidence. Though cleared of the worst charges, Combs' reputation lies in tatters, and his remaining legal battles include multiple civil lawsuits.
