Diddy Reportedly Returning Publishing Rights To Bad Boy Artists

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Amid Bad Boys Records’ 30th anniversary, Diddy is shutting down the chatter that he doesn’t pay his signees by reassigning publishing rights to the label’s musicians. 

Notably, Faith Evans, The Lox, 112 and late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate were all named as parties getting their publishing rights reassigned, reported Billboard. A Bad Boy Records representative didn’t provide details about any of the artists’ paperwork or estimated financial gains. However, it was shared that most of those relevant to the reassignment process had been contacted and were in agreement with their offers. 

Mase is one of the several artists to receive back the publishing rights to their catalogs. The Florida-born, Harlem-repping rapper called out Diddy in 2020 for allegedly turning down his $2 million offer to buy back his catalog. Mase’s harsh words toward the mogul were spawned after Diddy criticized the Recording Academy for downplaying the contributions of Black R&B and hip-hop artists.

“You bought it for about $20,000 & I offered you $2 million in cash,” Mase said accusatorially of Diddy. “This is not Black excellence at all when our race is enslaving us. If it’s about us owning, it can’t be about us owning each other.”

Diddy also drew criticism in 2021 for reportedly offering to contribute financially to funeral costs for former Bad Boy Records signee, late rapper Black Rob, who was a part of the label from 1996 to 2010. 

Following the latter’s death, his manager Kal Dawson argued that Diddy could have done more to help Rob while the former signee was in poor health instead of chipping in when it became “too late.”

“People dragging their feet, and nothing got done,” said Kal during a guest appearance on the Murder Master Music Show. “So now you gonna pay for his funeral? He dead and gone now! Everybody wanna do something for you when you are dead and gone! You can’t tell people what to do with their money, but a lot of people that were in position to help didn’t, and it was too late because he passed away Saturday, a week after DMX,” the artist’s manager added.

Many X users seemed distrustful of whatever motivations were behind Diddy’s move to give his artists the rights to their publishing. The comments built on online criticism following Mase’s 2020 airing out regarding Diddy’s business moves in the music industry. 

The mogul’s latest musical offering, The Love Album: Off The Grid, reportedly includes almost 30 features and is scheduled to drop Sept. 15. Diddy is also set to receive this year’s Global Icon Award at MTV’s Video Music Awards Sept. 12. The “Gotta Move On” artist will perform at the award show, marking his first time rocking the VMAs stage since 2005.  

Do you think Diddy’s latest move is only to provide positive press ahead of his forthcoming album and VMAs award? Sound off in the comments.

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