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Sean “Diddy” Combs and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) probably see a lot of themselves in each other these days.
Only one of them is in jail with his freedom on the line, but both have gone from having long careers as the most beloved, influential figures in music to being its most despised. It makes sense that the two would bond, and that’s exactly what happened in a recently leaked phone call between the two artists.
Video footage obtained by the Shade Room shows Ye speaking to Combs on the phone, with their conversation covering music, supporting each other through tough times, and decrying the lack of public support Combs has had since he was indicted on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The video starts with Combs giving Ye the same type of motivational speeches that he made in his songs and other viral clips. He encouraged Ye to focus on his music and to have something new to play for him over the phone on a future call.
“Have some f**king fun. Get behind the mic, have some fun, chop up them samples, get back on your Hitman vibe,” Combs said, referring to the cadre of producers that soundtracked the hits under Combs’ Bad Boy Records label. “Have some fun, get back to smiling. Put that love in your heart and enjoy yourself.”
“I want to see you tear down them stadiums,” Combs continued. “I need to see you back on that stage, actually rapping and performing. I be dreaming about that sh*t.”
Ye agreed with what Combs said about how he should get back to pouring his efforts into music.
“I love music again. It was a time when everything was so frustrating, I can’t explain it,” he admitted.
From there, the conversation progressed into how Combs is holding up in jail. He said that his trial is scheduled to begin 59 days after their call. “I’m Puff Daddy in jail. This shit is sad as a motherf***er,” Combs said, before an awkward laugh. Combs thanked Ye for looking after his children while he’s inside.
“Ain’t nobody reach out to them, ain’t nobody call. That meant so much that you reached out to them and took them under your wing,” Combs said. “It’s like being left for dead, and only one person is doing anything to [help] you. … Taking care of my son, that’s some next level big brother sh*t.”
Ye hasn’t been indicted or jailed, but he’s faced his own spate of legal issues.
In 2024, his former assistant accused him of sexual harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination between 2021 and 2022, and a model accused him of assaulting her in a 2010 video shoot. In another 2022 report, former employees of Ye’s company Yeezy accused him of showing them porn and intimidating them.
All of that is combined with years of rampant antisemitism, tweeting “I love Hitler,” and airing a Super Bowl commercial that pointed users to swastika shirts that were for sale on his website.
Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty
Even under lesser terms, Ye is seen as a troll and a hater; this week, he lambasted Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, The Creator’s music, seemingly for no reason. Ye’s public image has been butchered as a result, with business partners and even longtime friends distancing themselves from him.
Ye seems to be at his most even-tempered when he’s advocating for other people who have been publicly dragged. In recent years, he’s expressed vocal support for Donald Trump and Candace Owens, conservative firebrands who peddle in bigotry and misinformation.
In February of this year, Ye expressed concern for Kodak Black after a disturbing video circulated of the rapper sitting in the street and eating chicken. Kodak has also been accused of rape, and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
“Y’all might think, ‘Ye is really going through it right now, somebody need to go get him.’ … I am telling you calmly that I am in a good space,” he said in a video posted days after a string of antisemitic tweets. “But I just saw a video of Kodak. … I thought, ‘Man, I should go down to Miami and maybe I could be the person that makes the difference.’”
Sean Combs has been similarly ostracized over the past year and a half. He was sued by ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November 2023, accused of raping and repeatedly physically abusing her. He denied the allegations while quickly settling the suit, but months later, CNN released surveillance footage of Combs savagely attacking Ventura. A federal indictment followed shortly thereafter.
He’s been hit with dozens of other lawsuits since then, and there have been various documentaries and exposés made about him. He’s now being detained at Brooklyn Metropolitan Correctional Center as he awaits trial.
But Ye has been one of Combs’ few vocal supporters, backing him on social media and selling shirts on his Yeezy site that prominently feature the logo from Combs’ Sean John clothing line. Combs spoke on the call about the lack of support from other celebrities since his legal troubles began.
“I thought we was all family, but right now, you’re the only family I got,” he said. “I always spoke up for everybody, you know? I’m not bitter or nothing, I’m just telling you how it is because you’re the only one.”
We’d appreciate it if Ye’s contrarianism could surface in other ways, and if he could find common ground with people who aren’t accused of sexual assault.
SEE ALSO:
Reckoning With The Industry That Protected Sean Combs
