Diddy might be promoting “economic empowerment for Black artists” with his recent move to return all publishing rights back to Bad Boy artists. But there’s one who’s calling his bluff.
Bad Boy alum Mark Curry is taking to social media to call out Diddy’s recent decision to reassign his Bad Boy publishing rights back to all Bad Boy artists and writers. According to Curry, who appeared on the hit single “Bad Boy For Life,” Diddy’s gesture is too little too late since most of the publishing has already lost its value.
“What’s it worth now?” he asked in his video.
“He gave me mine back a long time ago … That’s disrespectful—I said why don’t you just keep it and pay me? I don’t want the publishing; I want the money.”
“Diddy gave the publishing back.:. So what.. it has no value,” Curry wrote in his caption.
“I want him to give me a million cash and then I can plan the rest of my life out well.”
Curry further reiterated his stance in the comments section explaining why he feels Diddy only returned his former artists’ publishing after the money was “all gone.”
“Ever had somebody owe you 50 dollars.. when you needed it back.. they didn’t pay you.. then by the time they do pay you.. the 50 dollars doesn’t mean the same as it did when you needed it?” Curry wrote.
“That’s how I feel… I wanted that when it was making money.. not after it’s all gone.. what ima do with that? I’m fact.. it’s an insult.”
Curry has criticized Diddy since leaving Bad Boy in 2005. In 2009, he released the book, Dancing with the Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip Hop
, where he accused the hip-hop mogul of exploiting his artists.On Monday, Diddy made media headlines after he “decided to reassign his Bad Boy publishing rights back to all Bad Boy artists and writers who helped build Bad Boy into the powerhouse it is today,” a source told Variety. Along with Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e, Faith Evans, and 112, many former Bad Boy artists have all had their music publishing rights returned.
“Combs sees it as part of a broader goal of promoting economic empowerment for Black artists and culture,” an insider said.
RELATED CONTENT: Sean “Diddy” Combs Reassigns Publishing Rights Back to Bad Boy Artists, Songwriters