By now, many of us have heard about Sean "P. Diddy” Combs being accused of heinous crimes, including sexually assaulting former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, and other victims. Perhaps you’ve seen the horrifying video of Combs brutally beating and dragging Ventura down a hotel hallway.
Combs has an explosive temper, prone to tantrums that would leave him hyperventilating -- hence his childhood nickname: Puffy. But his temper was just the beginning, and the music industry tolerated his worst behavior. I have been writing about the industry for The Source, XXL, Vibe, and other magazines for more than 30 years, and I’ve heard horror stories of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
Combs’ penchant for abusing women was common knowledge in the industry, but that didn’t stop that industry from associating or doing business with him.
Sadly, many survivors silently suffer abuse in hopes of stardom. Statistics give an aspiring recording artist only a 1% chance of landing a record deal. That lucky 1% have only a 15% chance of getting a record in the Top 10, and a 6% chance of seeing their record hit No. 1. I know talented artists who spent years and thousands of dollars fruitlessly trying to hit the big time, many with music that belongs on the Billboard Top 100. But to get a fair chance, they first must deal with what we in the business call "industry politics."
This "politics" involves keeping certain business bigwigs happy in hopes of getting access. Combs was one such shot caller with the power and influence to turn a nobody into a superstar, as he did for Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Mase, Janelle Monae, and others. But Combs was also notorious for his infamous parties as well as his after-parties, where sexual abuse and other criminal activities allegedly took place.
Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. As of this writing, he remains incarcerated while awaiting trial. The media portrays his case as an anomaly, but the truth is the music industry is replete with monsters like Combs and R. Kelly, in top positions. These are A-list recording artists, multi-platinum producers, A&Rs (who scout and oversee the development of recording artists), CEOs, and label owners. Sure, the industry has plenty of decent people, but some at the very top are not. These are the ones promoting a culture of abuse and debauchery.
While fans have expressed moral outrage over Combs’ antics, the silence from many of the industry’s biggest artists and executives, including Clive Davis, Lyor Cohen, and Kevin Lyles (who stepped down in September) is deafening. One can understand why former executives like Russel Simmons and L.A. Reid would remain silent. (Both men have also been accused of sexual misconduct.) Additionally, Irv Gotti, producer and founder of Murder Inc. Records is facing a lawsuit alleging sexual assault that took place between the years of 2020-2022 by an unknown woman. All the above executives attended “Diddy parties” at one time or another, according to reports.
But what should we expect from an industry whose business model is the wholesale exploitation of vulnerable and naive artists at every turn? The music business is capitalism on steroids. In capitalism, everything is for sale, including a person’s morals and virtue. Combs’ penchant for abusing women was common knowledge in the industry, but that didn’t stop that industry from associating or doing business with him. And nothing stops industry leaders from empowering the next “Diddy,” for that matter, or releasing sexist, misogynist music and videos that reinforce—and in some cases, encourage—sexist behavior and/or physical abuse.
We consumers are no less complicit. We dance to the music and idolize celebrities and CEOs who push it. Marvin Gaye had a horrible reputation with women, but every time I hear “Let’s Get It On,” it still moves me. I also love Miles Davis’ music, even though he openly admitted to pimping women. Canceling good music is already difficult, and streaming makes it even harder since the algorithm doesn’t take into account the latest police reports. How do you cancel capitalism, especially capitalism on steroids?
It helps that we now know events in real-time through the 24-hour news cycle, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter), as opposed to back in the day. And once we know, it’s up to us to take canceling seriously—like I did with R. Kelly—and then share our reasons with everyone we know.
We can also insist record companies enforce the morality clauses in contracts the instant there is proof of artist misconduct, not just when an artist becomes so toxic they no longer generate revenue for the company. Right now, you wouldn't think they even have these clauses; R. Kelly had a sex tape with underage girls, but Jive Records continued to release his records. If companies properly enforced their morality clause, Combs could’ve been stopped earlier.
We, the audience, don’t have to be complicit. We can change the way the music industry operates by insisting on change and by withholding our support from artists and labels that empower bad actors like Combs. If we don’t speak with our voices and our dollars, four or five more “Diddys" are ready to take Diddy's spot.
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Charlie R. Braxton is a noted poet, playwright, cultural critic and hip-hop journalist whose work appears in Beatdown, 4080, Blaze, The Source, and others.
Great read! Change should begin with the consumers 💯