Every time Diddy’s name comes up, you know there’s drama involved. Sean P. Diddy Combs is notorious for allegedly screwing over numerous artists under his label, Bad Boy Records. We even have a whole playlist showcasing his shady business practices, which you can find in the description box. The Lox—Styles P, Sheik Luch, and Jadakiss—quickly realized that signing with Bad Boy was a huge mistake. Unlike many other artists on the label, they chose to fight back. Before we dive into today’s video, make sure you’ve got some money, power, and snacks ready. Check out our online concession stand at rrgsnacks.com for festive treats like Applewood smoked bacon jerky, freeze-dried goodies, and gummy sour peach rings.
These high school friends started making waves in the mid-90s with mixtapes under the name The Warlocks, creating a buzz in their hometown of Yonkers, New York. Their clever lyrics, humor, and wordplay made them underground hip-hop sensations. Suge Knight even tried to sign them to Death Row Records. “Great idea,” said no one ever. But as they told Vlad TV, their New York roots and Rough Riders management team led them to sign with the New York-based Bad Boy Records around 1996.
After signing with Bad Boy Records, Diddy renamed the group to The Lox. They quickly made a splash by featuring on several hits like Biggie’s “Last Day,” Ma$e’s “24 Hours to Live,” and the remix of Diddy’s “It’s All About the Benjamins.” Riding this wave of success, they released their debut album “Money, Power, & Respect” in 1998, which topped the Top Hip-Hop Albums chart and sold over 693,000 copies.
However, longtime fans were surprised by a shift in their music, moving from gritty to more mainstream sounds with songs like “If You Think I’m Jiggy.” The group blamed the label for this change, telling the New York Daily News, “We couldn’t say what we wanted to say. We couldn’t write what we wanted to write. You can’t work when you’re uncomfortable.”
Despite the album’s success, The Lox felt neglected at Bad Boy, receiving little attention and promotion. They didn’t fit Diddy’s vision, especially after the murders of Tupac and Biggie. Diddy was shifting Bad Boy towards more radio-friendly rap and entering his “shiny suit” era, while The Lox wanted to focus on street anthems. Their tough image clashed with Diddy’s new direction.
After Diddy and Bad Boy artist Shine were involved in a nightclub shooting in December 1999, both facing prison time, The Lox decided it was time to negotiate their release from the label. They told the New York Daily News they were desperate to be let go, even if it meant being blacklisted from the industry. Despite their requests and getting their lawyers involved, they were denied. In response, they launched a “Free The Lox” campaign, complete with t-shirts, posters, and picket signs that read “Let The Lox Go.”
They took their campaign to Angie Martinez’s radio show and showed up at Hot 97’s June 1999 Summer Jam concert wearing their “Let The Lox Go” t-shirts. Diddy was in attendance and, according to the New York Daily News, was “hotter than fish grease.” When they came face-to-face, The Lox reminded Diddy that they weren’t to be messed with. Styles even threw a chair at him, much like the Alabama boat brawl incident.
Styles later regretted his actions. He told Hip-Hop DX, “The moment with tossing the chair at Puff was a combination of being really effing stupid and really angry.” He explained that Biggie used to be the mediator, and after his passing, there was no one to keep the peace, leading to the escalation. This incident made Diddy realize it was time to do right by The Lox. In August 1999, he told MTV, “The Lox situation, it just didn’t work out, so we’re in the process of selling them right now. They are still, to me, some of the hottest rappers out. I wish them the best of luck. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
In 1999, The Lox joined DMX and Eve at Ruff Ryders Records. Their second studio album, “We Are the Streets,” was released in 2000 and was another success. It was certified gold and landed at number two on the hip-hop charts. From there, they released their solo albums. Although they had left Bad Boy Records, they still had unfinished business. They revealed that Diddy still owed them 50% of their publishing, meaning he continued to profit significantly from their work despite releasing them from their contract.
In December 2005, Sheik was on HOT97 to discuss his solo project, with Styles and J Kiss joining him for what he thought was moral support. But the interview quickly took a turn when they started talking about Diddy’s ownership of their publishing rights. J Kiss even threatened to drop a fridge on Diddy. “Not a damn fridge, busting Diddy upside the head like in a cartoon!”
Diddy called into the show to defend himself, saying, “Nobody’s stealing or robbing here. All that talk about a refrigerator, you ain’t killing nobody. We’re businessmen. Don’t act like Puff took something from y’all. Let’s settle this in my office and stop talking on the radio.”
J Kiss shot back, “You just don’t want the truth out, dog! We made ‘Money, Power, Respect’ with you, and 10 years later, you still have half our publishing! No way you deserve half! We know where your office is, with a big sign on it. You’re a grown-ass man and a thief!”
The heated argument ended with Diddy hanging up on them, leaving them contemplating calling him back. Despite this clash, The Lox and Diddy eventually patched things up around 2010. The Lox wanted to record as a group again and needed a new label. Styles told Hip-Hop DX they were looking to re-sign with Bad Boy, saying, “We ain’t talking to nobody else. Ain’t no need.”
In 2015, they joined Diddy on the Bad Boy Reunion Tour. J Kiss told Hip Hop DX it was good to be making money with Diddy again and reflected that Diddy wasn’t entirely to blame for their past issues. “We signed those contracts. If I sell you an orange and tell you it’s an apple and you accept it, that’s your fault!” Jada Kiss acknowledged their naivety and Diddy’s opportunism but insisted on holding him accountable. “Hold his ass accountable, hell!”
In 2016, through a joint venture with Roc Nation, they released their third studio album, “Filthy America… It’s Beautiful,” which climbed to number six on the hip-hop charts. Their fourth album, “Living Off Experience,” came out in 2020 and peaked at number 154. In September 2021, Styles confirmed that Diddy had returned their publishing rights, and J Kiss mentioned he planned to sell part of his catalog right away. Two years later, TMZ reported that Diddy had released more publishing rights, including those of Mase, Faith Evans, and Biggie’s estate. Their label mate, rapper Mark Curry, took to Instagram to express his dissatisfaction despite having his publishing returned long ago.
“Puff Daddy gave the publishing back! Whoop-de-doo! What’s it worth now compared to 10 or 20 years ago? What did he really give you back? He told me I was the first person he called, saying, ‘Mark, I want you to be the first to know this. I’m giving all my artists back their publishing!’ But it’s like a spider sucked out all the insides and then gave it back! That’s disrespectful! I told him, ‘Keep it and pay me! I don’t want the publishing; I want the money!'”
Many believe Diddy had ulterior motives in returning the publishing rights to his artists, especially since Aubrey O’Day, formerly of Danity Kane, revealed that the transfer came with a non-disclosure agreement. When TMZ asked her about Diddy’s motivation, Aubrey said, “I think he’s trying to keep as many people quiet as possible.”
In November 2023, Diddy’s world began to unravel when his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a bombshell lawsuit against him. Since then, he has settled the lawsuit, two of his homes have been raided, his alleged drug mule was arrested, CNN released footage of him assaulting Cassie, several more people have filed lawsuits against him, and a federal indictment looms on the horizon.
And the award for having the worst year ever goes to Diddy. Seriously, it’s been rough! Do you think Diddy was trying to do right by his former artists because he knew things were about to go south and he wanted to look good in the public eye? Let us know what you think in the comments below