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Combs reassigned publishing to former Bad Boy Records artists and writers, but former Bad Boy rapper Mark Curry says the publishing is worth little if anything.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been in a giving mood this year. After donating funds to HBCUs and the Apollo Theater, he has gifted publishing rights of Bad Boy Records songs to the original artists and writers.
Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, The Lox, and the estate of the Notorious B.I.G. are among the artists whom Combs has reassigned publishing rights, according to Variety. Combs began the process two years ago, reportedly turning down a deal to sell the Bad Boys Records catalog that came with a nine-figure price tag, according to The Los Angeles Times.
But is this an act of kindness on Combs’ part, or is it an empty gesture for good PR? Former Bad Boy artist Mark Curry thinks it’s the latter.
Days after the news of Combs’ move, Curry took to social media to expose the music mogul. Curry is best known for appearing on Combs’ hit single, “Bad Boy For Life,” and insists that the value of the publishing is next to nothing at this point.
Curry stated on Instagram Live that Combs gave him his publishing back years ago but only receives up to $400 a year, saying he’d rather Combs keep the publishing and give him and other artists $1 million instead. He likened Combs returning the publishing to the artists and writers to giving someone their girlfriend back after having “10 kids with her.”
“He’s just giving back what he never should’ve had in the first place,” Curry said. The rapper has written about Combs’ business dealings with his artists in the 2009 book, “Dancing with the Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip-Hop.” However, he’s not the first rapper to take Combs to task about publishing.
In 2020, Ma$e also took to Instagram to criticize Combs for shady business practices with him and other Bad Boys artists, according to Billboard.
The Harlem MC contributed to some of Bad Boy Records’ biggest hits, including “Feel So Good,” “Mo Money Mo Problems” with the Notorious B.I.G. and Combs, and on several of Combs’ hits, like “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “Been Around the World.” Ma$e said Combs paid him $20,000 for his publishing over two decades before and denied him from buying back his masters for $2 million.
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