Sean “Diddy” Combs established the hip-hop collective Da Band in the early 2000s, although it eventually disbanded. Recently, former member Freddy P spoke with The Art of Dialogue, revealing his experiences under the Bad Boy Records executive.
Freddy P alleged that he observed Diddy “approaching” and “assaulting” men on multiple occasions, particularly targeting those who were experiencing financial difficulties.
“He’s literally assaulting men. It may be common nowadays, but for a man to walk up and slap you’re a*s and say ‘Let me get your number’ or ‘Come to my hotel room,’ that sh*t is not normal and I never heard no sh*t like that in my lifetime for no man to approach you like that,” Freddy P shared.
He elaborated:
“And he’s done it several times. I could imagine that Puffy approaches these guys going through financial situations. When things ain’t hot no more, you fall back on people like him. He preys on you.”
Chopper Young City, another member of Da Band, recounted his unsettling experiences with Diddy during a conversation with RaRe Reports. He mentioned witnessing troubling incidents at infamous “parties” that left lasting effects on him. He also accused Diddy of treating him “dirty” when he was at his lowest, including reclaiming his cars.
Sean Combs created the hip-hop and R&B group Da Band in 2002, signing them to his Bad Boy Records label. The group consisted of six members: Freddy P, Chopper Young City, Sara Stokes Rivers, Dylan Dilinjah, Babs, and E. Ness.
Da Band was formed as part of the MTV reality series Making the Band 2 and appeared for three seasons. Notably, during one episode, Diddy infamously instructed the members to walk over five miles from Manhattan to Brooklyn simply to fetch him a slice of cheesecake from Junior’s, a well-known restaurant.
The group released their debut studio album Too Hot for TV in September 2003, featuring popular singles like “Bad Boy This,””Bad Boy That,”and “Tonight.”However, Da Band was ultimately disbanded by Diddy in 2004.
After the disbandment, Sara Stokes Rivers transitioned into an R&B singer and entrepreneur. Dylan Dilinjah, known as Dylan John, pursued a career as a reggae vocalist based in Brooklyn. Babs, who hails from Brooklyn as well, became an MC under the name Lynese Wiley.
E. Ness, also known as Lloyd Mathis, emerged as a battle rapper and maintained a friendship with Combs, working as a songwriter on Diddy’s 2006 album Press Play.
Freddy P, who is based in Miami, is originally named Freddrick Watson. Meanwhile, Chopper Young City, also known as Kevin Barnes, is a rapper from New Orleans who recorded under the alias Rodney Hill. In 2022, he faced a charge related to s*x trafficking in Las Vegas.
Insights from Freddy P’s recent interview about Diddy
Freddy P’s recent interview with The Art of Dialogue shed light on his experiences and insights from his time under Diddy’s mentorship, stating that the now-embattled mogul often targeted young and financially troubled men.
“It’s a lot of rappers out here that have secrets because they fell into these situations with Puffy — and I know this personally,” Freddy noted.
He discussed his reasons for leaving Da Band, recalling a specific incident where he awoke in a “mood” and didn’t want to be bothered. While in the studio, feeling frustrated, he was confronted by Combs.
“Anyway, we get into a situation. We in front of everybody, n*gga like, ‘Man, what you think you ‘bout it or something?’ He was like, ‘N*gga, I’ll buy every house on your block, shut every light off in that b*tch, and every time you come out that b*tch you’ll get popped.’ When he tell you some sh*t like that, you go to picture him purchasing every house, you going to picture every light going off, and that sh*t silenced me,”Freddy P. mentioned.
Freddy P expressed that he was “shocked” by Diddy’s recent arrest, but acknowledged it as “long overdue.” He conveyed concerns regarding the handling of Diddy’s actions, questioning if authorities were effectively doing their jobs, as he felt that Puffy “got away with too much.”
Despite his grievances, Freddy P stated that he did not harbor “hate” towards Diddy, emphasizing that he understood the “truth.” He posited that Diddy’s legal troubles stemmed from not being able to “live his truth.”
“The more he tried to hide, the worse it got. A lot of stuff Puffy is going through, and I don’t wish bad on him. But it’s sensitive because there are a lot of victims here… I don’t like the man, but I still have love for him. I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for him. He saw something in me when there were 40,000 other people,” he concluded.
Sean Combs was apprehended by federal agents on September 16 on three felony charges, including racketeering conspiracy, s*x trafficking by force or coercion, and transportation to facilitate prostitution. Following this, he was indicted by a grand jury and denied bail twice at the Manhattan Federal Court as prosecutors deemed him a “serious flight risk.”
Currently, he remains at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center under suicide watch while awaiting trial. Diddy has pleaded “not guilty” to all charges. Should he be convicted, he faces a potential sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison.
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