NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a week after honoring Sean “Diddy” Combs at the Clive Davis pre-Grammys gala, rapper Mase lashed out at the Bad Boy Records founder and accused Combs of ripping him off along with others signed to his label.
“I heard u loud and clear when u said that u are now for the artist and to that my response is if u want to see change you can make a change today by starting with yourself,” Mase posted on Instagram. “Your past business practices knowingly has ... been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Badboy label.”
A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to an email request for comment Friday.
In a fiery, 50-minute speech at the Jan. 25 gala, Combs sharply criticized the Grammy Awards for dissing rap and R&B stars in its major categories. Combs was honored at the event and received an all-star tribute from artists he’s worked with, including Mase, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and Carl Thomas.
In his speech, Combs demanded change from the Grammys within the year.
“So I say this with love to the Grammys, because you really need to know this, every year y’all be killing us man. Man, I’m talking about the pain. I’m speaking for all these artists here, the producers, the executives,” he said. “The amount of time it takes to make these records, to pour your heart into it, and you just want an even playing field.”
On Instagram, Mase accused Combs of underpaying him for song publishing from his early days as a Bad Boy artist.
“This is not black excellence at all,” Mase wrote. “When our own race is enslaving us. If it’s about us owning, it can’t be about us owning each other.”
Mase had some of Bad Boy’s biggest hits, including “Feels So Good” and “Mo Money Mo Problems,” a Notorious B.I.G. song that featured Combs and Mase.