The story of Sean “Diddy” Combs is interlaced into the fabric of Hip-hop history, marked by huge success and huge controversy, like the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. These events have not only soiled Diddy’s career but have also sparked numerous conspiracy theories regarding his potential involvement. We are tempted to use these theories to build a very fundamental assumption into Diddy’s arrest on September 16, 2024.
Born Sean John Combs on November 4, 1969, in Harlem, New York City, P. Diddy emerged from humble beginnings, being raised by his single mother, Janice Combs, after his father was murdered when he was just a toddler. He attended Howard University but dropped out to pursue a career in music, eventually landing an internship at Uptown Records.
In 1993, Diddy founded Bad Boy Records, which would become a powerhouse in the hip-hop and R&B scenes. His keen eye for talent led to the signing of iconic artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, and Ma$e. The label produced chart-topping hits that defined the ’90s, with Diddy himself becoming known for his flashy style and entrepreneurial spirit.
Diddy’s debut album, No Way Out (1997), solidified his status as a solo artist, featuring hits like “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute to Biggie that showcased his ability to blend hip-hop with mainstream appeal. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and marked the beginning of Diddy’s ascent to superstardom.
Diddy has undergone several name changes throughout his career, adopting monikers such as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, and simply Diddy. Though each transformation seems to reflect strategic branding efforts in an ever-evolving music industry, it also seems to reflect a metamorphosis and rebirth into a new era of controversies, while trying to bury the previous, with little success.
Many thinkers and conspiracy theorists strongly believe that the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. in the ‘1990s were connected to Diddy as his alleged involvement in the case has been speculated for decades, yet there has been no evidence found to suggest he had anything to do with it. Duane ‘Keefe D’ Davis was the man who got charged with Tupac’s murder but he went undercover for police to try and implicate Diddy, according to theories. Last week Marca.com reported that Eminem gave an opinion on the murder through his lyrics. It came through his latest album, ‘The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)’ Expanded Mourner’s Edition. His track ‘Guel’ calls into question Puff’s role in not just Tupac but Biggie’s murder as well.
Eminem raps: “So who’ll be picked next, whose name gonna be next up?/Notorious B.I.G.’s death was the domino effect of Tupac’s murder. Like facial tissue, whose clock should I clean next? Puff’s?/’Til he’s in police handcuffs, guilty, will he step up?/Like gee, never turned himself in, who knows all the murders there’ll have been?!? Do not test like an essay (Why?)/’Cause like where my homies out West, aye (Yeah). We can just say (What?)/I’m like an R-A-P-E-R/I got so many S-As/S-As/Wait, he didn’t just spell the word rapper and leave out a ‘P’, did he?/Yup/R-I-P, rest in peace, Biggie/And ‘Pac, both of y’all should be living/Yup, but I ain’t tryna beef with him ’cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D, get him/And that’s the only way you’re gonna be killing me (Nah)/Ain’t gonna be on no beat, silly (Yeah).”
By the looks of it, it appears Eminem is saying that Diddy had something to do with both murders that took place as tensions between Cribs and Blood were at an all-time high at the time.
But away from Eminem punchlines, on November 2, 2023, CBS News reported Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis as having pleaded not guilty to murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas — a charge prompted by his own descriptions in recent years about orchestrating the deadly drive-by shooting.
Earlier, Prosecutors had told a grand jury that Davis had implicated himself in the killing in multiple interviews and a 2019 tell-all memoir that described his life leading a Crips sect in Compton. Davis has said he obtained a 40-caliber handgun and handed it to Anderson, a member of Davis’ gang, in the back seat of a Cadillac.
In a more recent interview, as People.com reported in July 2024, Davis more specifically claimed Combs solicited him to kill Knight and Shakur. The DEA and U.S. Department of Justice report about a 2008 interview with Davis says that Davis claimed Combs said he “needed to get rid of Knight and Shakur” and offered Davis $1 million to “handle the problem.”
The claims surrounding the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G had long been fueled by the intense rivalry between East Coast and West Coast hip-hop, particularly the antagonistic relationship between their respective labels—Bad Boy Records owned by Diddy and Death Row Records owned by Suge Knight. This feud escalated dramatically in the mid-1990s, with Tupac’s fiery lyrics in tracks like “Hit ‘Em Up” laying bare his animosity towards Puff Daddy and Bad Boy. In this diss track, Tupac directly calls out Diddy, accusing him of betrayal and aligning with those he considered enemies.
The rivalry was not just personal; it was deeply rooted in regional pride and competition. The East Coast, represented by artists Biggie and Diddy, clashed with the West Coast, championed by Tupac and manager Suge Knight. The media sensationalism surrounding their feud only intensified the situation, transforming personal grievances into a full-blown cultural war.
Tupac’s lines in “Hit ‘Em Up” exemplify this animosity, as he openly challenges Diddy’s credibility and loyalty within the hip-hop community. This public airing of grievances contributed to the already charged atmosphere between the two coasts, leading to tragic consequences that would forever alter the landscape of hip-hop.
Combs has long vehemently denied any role in the shooting, and a public information officer for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told PEOPLE.com on July 24, “Sean Combs has never been considered a suspect in the Tupac Shakur homicide investigation.”
