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USA Today
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
50 Cent, Diddy fights spill into court as former assistant reveals long-running feud
50 Cent, Diddy fights spill into court as former assistant reveals long-running feud Show Caption Hide Caption Sean Combs' former personal assistant testifies in Diddy trial George Kaplan, Sean Combs' former personal assistant, testified about his work relationship with the embattled hip-hop mogul. A long-brewing hip-hop feud spilled into the courtroom this week after a former assistant for Sean "Diddy" Combs alleged the music mogul had beef with fellow rapper 50 Cent. Capricorn Clark, who worked as Combs' assistant for several years in the mid-2000s, took the stand in his federal sex-crimes trial May 27 to chronicle the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of the music mogul and to name-drop a few other industry power players. In one instance, Clark described traveling with Combs to MTV for a press engagement and overhearing him tell a security guard that he didn't like nonsense and people, but he did "like guns." Rapper 50 Cent, who has been trolling Diddy online throughout the trial, was also at MTV that day, Clark said, claiming Combs "had an issue with 50 Cent." Obama, Britney Spears, Michael B. Jordan All the celebs mentioned during the Diddy trial That issue has become even more apparent in recent months as 50 Cent, who is producing a Netflix documentary on Combs, has continued to paint Combs as a liar and a fraud. In a July interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 50 Cent claimed "everything" Combs says is a lie. Alluding to a CNN video showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura Fine, the rapper added that "with all the influence and power you have, the person you're with is supposed to want to be a part of your life, not be forced." 50 Cent told the outlet some people in Hollywood might fear being implicated if they spoke out against Combs, in the wake of a torrent of civil suits accusing the music mogul of sexual assault and abuse. "Some of them were involved, at the parties and enjoyed themselves, so they don't know what was being filmed," he said. "So they're not going to say anything because they might have had too much fun. And then you've got other people who look and go, 'Well, that's not my business and I don't want to be in it.'" Capricorn Clark says Diddy threatened her after discovering Suge Knight ties Clark, who said she worked for Combs between 2004 and 2012, also told jurors that Marion "Suge" Knight, the one-time music mogul and hip-hop executive who feuded with Combs in the '90s, is the father of her best friend's children. Knight is the co-founder of Death Row Records, a California-based label that was at odds with Combs' Bad Boy Records during the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry. Knight has emerged as a recurring character in the trial, after Combs' ex-partner and star witness, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, recalled an instance in which she tried to dissuade the music mogul from confronting him. The prosecution appears poised to use Combs' feud with Knight, as well as another series of encounters with rapper Kid Cudi, as demonstrative of a violent streak. Suge Knight's hip-hop beef with Diddy resurfaces in Cassie Ventura's trial testimony Clark, who claims Combs was violent with her throughout her tenure, told jurors that on her first day of work, the music mogul took her to Central Park after 9 p.m. and interrogated her about her connections to Knight. He "told me he didn't know I had anything to do with Suge Knight and if anything happened, he would have to kill me," Clark alleged, saying she took that as "a very serious" threat. Clark's testimony is key to the prosecution's claims of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution – all charges Combs has pleaded not guilty to – given that her accounts corroborate claims from Ventura Fine and Cudi. Ventura Fine testified that Clark was aware Combs had allegedly threatened to release explicit footage of her, while Cudi said Clark was the one who told him Combs had allegedly broken into his Los Angeles home after learning of his relationship with Ventura Fine. Contributing: Edward Segarra
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Suge Knight's hip-hop beef with Diddy resurfaces in Cassie Ventura's trial testimony
Suge Knight's hip-hop beef with Diddy resurfaces in Cassie Ventura's trial testimony Show Caption Hide Caption Cassie Ventura testimony is key to case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs Cassie Ventura Fine has crucial testimony in sex-crimes trial against Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Marion "Suge" Knight, the one-time music mogul and hip-hop executive who feuded with Sean "Diddy" Combs in the '90s, is back in the spotlight amid Combs' federal sex-crimes trial. The Death Row Records co-founder, whose California-based label was at odds with Combs' Bad Boy Records during the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry, was brought up during testimony at Combs' criminal trial in Manhattan court on May 13. Combs is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution following his arrest in September 2024. Combs' ex-girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, referenced the music moguls' longstanding feud as she took the witness stand and spoke about weapons allegedly stored in Combs' homes, among the rapper's other alleged abuses. Ventura Fine testified that Combs left his house amid one "freak off" in Los Angeles after being tipped off by a bodyguard that Knight was at a diner nearby. A "freak off" is a type of party featuring sexual performances that federal prosecutors have accused Combs of orchestrating as part of an alleged criminal enterprise. At the time of Combs' departure, Ventura Fine said she told Combs, "Please don't do anything stupid" as she screamed and cried in fear. Knight has also faced his fair share of legal woes over the years, including multiple stints in prison and jail. The former record executive, who was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of murder in a hit-and-run incident that killed businessman Terry Carter, reportedly agreed to a $1.5 million settlement in the wrongful death case on April 29, according to Rolling Stone. Knight has been serving a 28-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter. Why did Suge Knight and Diddy feud? As the heads of two of hip-hop's top record labels in the 1990s, Knight and Combs became embroiled in the genre's infamous East Coast-West Coast feud, which was epitomized by the rivalry between rappers Tupac "2Pac" Shakur and Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace. The New York-born Shakur represented the West Coast after he signed with the Los Angeles-based Death Row Records. He often traded verbal jabs with New York natives Wallace and Combs, who hailed from the East Coast and represented New York City-based Bad Boy Records. Knight appeared to call out Combs while attending the Source Awards in August 1995, making critical remarks about a music producer who makes frequent appearances in his artists' songs and music videos, which Combs was known to do. "Anyone out there who wanna be a recording artist and wanna stay a star and don't have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing, come to Death Row," Knight reportedly said at the time. Shakur and Wallace were both killed in drive-by shootings six months apart in September 1996 and March 1997, respectively. Knight drove the Black BMW that Shakur was traveling in at the time of the shooting. Knight was grazed by a bullet fragment or shrapnel from the car, while Shakur was shot four times, at least twice in the chest. Two years prior to Shakur's death, the rapper was wounded in a shooting during a robbery in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel in November 1994. He was shot several times and lost $40,000. Shakur openly accused Wallace and Combs of having prior knowledge of the shooting, which both vehemently denied. Contributing: USA TODAY staff
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking potential Eagles Week 1 matchups from best to worst
Ranking potential Eagles Week 1 matchups from best to worst Which Eagles potential Week 1 matchup provides the most intrigue? Christmas is coming in the middle of May. The NFL's schedule release airs on the 14th at 8 p.m. EST. We've known who the Philadelphia Eagles will play for a while. Now, we'll learn the dates and kickoff times. Each campaign brings the six expected clashes with the hated rivals. As is always the case, home and road games will be played vs. the other three members of the NFC East. Last time around, Philly won their pair of clashes with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, but a late-season collapse vs. the Washington Commanders prevented them from sweeping the division. That's okay. They wouldn't lose again. Philly again has an opportunity to dominate the National Football Conference. They will also enjoy a rematch with the team they bested to hoist their second Vince Lombardi Trophy. They'll play the members of the NFC North, the AFC West, and the NFC South's winner, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the road won't be easy. It will be fun to watch Ranking the Eagles' potential Week 1 matchups from most interesting to potential snoozers. Anticipation for pro football's schedule release is building. Everyone has long known who the Eagles will face in home games. One has to be the Week 1 adversary. We all know that much. The NFL's social media team recently reminded us of the potential opening-night opponents. One potential clash will make Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown very happy, as he has already publicly stated that he wants all of the Eagles' smoke in Week 1. We agree with St. Brown. The Eagles' upcoming matchup with the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions tops our list of most intriguing potential matchups. 1. Eagles vs. Lions As the 2024-25 NFL season unfolded, this was the matchup we thought we'd see in the NFC Championship Game. Fast-forward to the present, and the Eagles are the defending champions while the Lions seek a coup d'état. Detroit has a lot of star power and exciting players. It would also be nice to see what their offense looks like now that Ben Johnson is no longer the Lions' offensive coordinator. 2. Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams Every title run has that game that could have changed everything. Last January, that game came in the Divisional Round as it took everything the Birds had to put the Los Angeles Rams away. L.A. will be in the conversation again. Now, they've added Davante Adams. This one has it all. An East Coast-West Coast battle... Two great head coaches... Budding stars and well-known veterans... 3. Eagles vs. Commanders Don't look now, but the Washington Commanders are now the Eagles' top threat in the NFC East. If you want excitement, every potential matchup will do it for you, but if you want ratings, which we're sure the NFL does, an NFC Championship Game rematch is the way to go. 4. Eagles vs. Cowboys Eagles vs. Cowboys... Need we say more? Everyone good here? Okay, let's move on. 5. Eagles vs. Giants Though this rivalry has been one-sided as of late, Eagles vs. Giants still means something. The 'former Giants playing on Philly's roster' angle never loses steam. See Saquon Barkley, Azeez Ojulari, and Adoree' Jackson for evidence. This one, however, might be over by halftime. Something more riveting might be the play for the first game of the NFL season. 6. Eagles vs. Las Vegas Raiders There isn't a more loyal fan base in the NFL than that belonging to the Eagles, but Raiders fans are pretty doggone loyal, too. They've followed the Silver and Black from Oakland to Los Angeles, back to Oakland, and now to Las Vegas. And, even though they'd never be able to take over Lincoln Financial Field, they'd certainly follow their team to Philadelphia for a game. 7. Eagles vs. Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears may be a team on the rise. Ben Johnson may be the elixir for all that ails his new team on offense, but nothing about this game says 'primetime'. Nothing about this says 'bright lights' or 'action'. 8. Eagles vs. Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos made the postseason last January and feature young stars like quarterback Bo Nix. They are also home to the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Patrick Surtain, and head coach Sean Payton. Still, there isn't a real rivalry between these two teams, and unless they meet in a Super Bowl, they'll likely only play once every four seasons. That being said, we'd place this one in the 'primetime' category but beg the NFL to give us another, more enticing matchup for their Week 1 opening night game.
New York Times
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Voletta Wallace, Mother Who Shaped the Notorious B.I.G.'s Legacy, Dies at 78
Voletta Wallace, the mother of the Brooklyn rapper the Notorious B.I.G., whose stewardship of her son's career and legacy after he was killed in 1997 helped cement him as a hip-hop icon, died on Friday. She was 78. Ms. Wallace had been in hospice care at her residence in Stroudsburg, Penn., according to a news release from the Monroe County coroner, Thomas Yanac, who confirmed the death, citing natural causes. A middle-class immigrant and single mother from Jamaica, Ms. Wallace was forced into the hip-hop spotlight after the Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace and also known as Biggie Smalls, died at 24 in a Los Angeles drive-by shooting. Biggie's death came just six months after the Las Vegas slaying of the rapper Tupac Shakur, a onetime friend turned bitter rival, with the killings abruptly ending a formative and fruitful moment in mainstream gangster rap amid a tangled East Coast-West Coast beef that went far beyond music. For decades, both cases remained unsolved, fueling an ongoing ecosystem of true-crime books, documentaries, articles and more that have attempted to explain the possible links between the two killings, including the involvement of national gangs and crooked cops. (In 2023, prosecutors in Las Vegas charged Duane Keith Davis, a former gang leader known as Keffe D, with murder in the Shakur case; he is set to stand trial later this year.) Ms. Wallace, a preschool teacher, took on the mantle of her son's career almost immediately. Biggie's second album, 'Life After Death,' came out two weeks after he died; six months later, Ms. Wallace accepted the MTV Video Music Award for best rap video ('Hypnotize'), telling the New York crowd, 'I know if my son was here tonight, the first thing he would've done is say big up to Brooklyn.' Two years later, she appeared alongside Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, at the same awards show, urging unity and the preservation of their sons' legacies. Ms. Wallace would go on to work with other mothers of musicians who died young through her Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation and its B.I.G. ('Books Instead of Guns') Night Out. 'All I want to do is put a book into a child's hand. Because books do not kill,' Ms. Wallace said in 2003. 'Books do not murder. But weapons do.' In 2002, Ms. Wallace and her son's widow, the singer Faith Evans, filed a wrongful-death suit against the city of Los Angeles, accusing the Los Angeles Police Department of covering up police involvement in the killing. A 2005 trial ended in a mistrial, with a judge ruling that the police had intentionally withheld evidence and ordering the city to pay the estate's legal fees. An amended version of the suit filed by Biggie's estate in 2007 estimated financial losses at $500 million. The case was dismissed in 2010 to avoid interfering with what the estate called a 'reinvigorated' criminal investigation. 'The family only wanted justice to be done,' a lawyer for the estate said at the time. Despite the lack of closure in the case, Ms. Wallace continued to spread the Notorious B.I.G.'s story across popular culture. She was credited as a producer — and played by Angela Bassett as 'a saint with a powerful tongue,' as one film review put it — in the 2009 biopic 'Notorious,' even coaching the actor, Jamal Woolard, who played her son. 'I felt like I sometimes intimidated him during the film,' Ms. Wallace said. 'I felt bad for that, but as a producer my job is to be there.' In a 2021 documentary, 'Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell,' Ms. Wallace recalled her musical influence on her once-shy son from their days in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where he was exposed to a mix of reggae, jazz and — her personal favorite — country music. 'Ever since I was a little girl I liked stories,' Ms. Wallace said. 'When he was a little boy and was growing up, I always had the radio on and tuned in to the country music station. I love my Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. He listened to it all with me because he had no other choice.' Information on survivors to Ms. Wallace was not immediately available. For years, Ms. Wallace was a reliable presence alongside the music executive Sean Combs, known as Puff Daddy or Diddy, who helped discover Biggie and also shepherded his legacy after death. But she was unequivocal last year, as Mr. Combs was accused of widespread sexual abuse and indicted on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges. 'I hope that I see Sean one day and the only thing I want to do is slap the daylights out of him. And you can quote me on that,' Ms. Wallace told Rolling Stone. 'Because I liked him. I didn't want to believe all the awful things, but I'm so ashamed and embarrassed.'
