Diddy’s future in music after trial is uncertain

Sean “Diddy” Combs may be considered a convicted felon following his explosive, seven-week federal trial, but many in and around the music industry said his decadeslong career as a revolutionary producer and hitmaker could grant him a pathway to resume his career.

The music mogul and founder of the renowned Bad Boy Records was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

Combs, who is responsible for a slew of hit songs during the 1990s and 2000s, will have a lot of work to do to avoid public rejection in the vein of other Black celebrities who have been at the center of damning criminal trials, such as R. Kelly, O.J. Simpson and Bill Cosby.

Industry professionals who spoke to NBC News said Combs can control the narrative of his legacy — and potentially reinvent himself. While the jury acquitted him of the more serious charges, the trial exposed Combs’ unorthodox “freak offs” and revealed multiple accusations of sexual and physical abuse — transgressions that often make celebrities persona non grata.

Entertainment attorney Yemi Adegbonmire of Los Angeles said Combs’ next step to salvage his public persona and career will have to be made with intent and purpose.

“The path forward is probably going to require him to do something different than we’ve seen with other folks, which is really to engage with accountability, look at rebuilding trust now that we know so much more about the man behind the legend,” she said. “He has to put himself into a space that allows folks to feel comfortable listening to new music or accepting new ventures from him.”

Doing that will not be easy. People saw surveillance video of Combs beating, kicking and dragging his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. They heard the graphic testimony of witnesses during the trial, many of whom spoke of rampant drug use by Combs and some of whom testified that they were either physically abused by him or witnessed him abuse others.

The industry sources said Combs would need to show humility, become a genuine advocate against domestic violence and drug abuse and enter counseling. And even that may not enable him to reach his previous level of acclaim.

The public perception of Combs “is irrevocably changed,” culture writer Shamira Ibrahim said. “A large part of that was the mystique of the person who was bigger than the world.”

His meteoric ascent as a hustler and producer, working with some of the biggest rising stars in East Coast hip-hop, cemented his place in the industry.

“Sean Combs’ impact on music and culture is as undeniable as the music was infectious,” Adegbonmire said.

Combs founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and forged a roster of stars that jettisoned hip-hop into the mainstream, including the late Notorious B.I.G., Mase, Faith Evans and the groups 112 and Total, among others.

He became a face of the genre, serving as an innovator in producing and marketing, while also projecting an image of wealth and influence, hosting extravagant parties that drew celebrities like Denzel Washington and Kevin Costner. He branched out into fashion, cable TV, alcohol and even politics, urging people to the polls through his “Vote or Die” campaign during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential run. His label, Bad Boy, was estimated to be worth $100 million at its peak, and according to Forbes, Combs’ net worth was as high as $825 million in 2018.

Before the accusations of abuse emerged, Combs remained well known but was “losing steam” as a music influencer, Ramal Brown, a Tulsa, Oklahoma, radio deejay said. “He once had control over the media, powerful connections to tell his narrative.”

But he was becoming increasingly less central to hip-hop as tastes shifted away from the Bad Boy style.

The “mystique” Ibrahim said Combs once had as a hip-hop mogul “is gone,” which will make a return to music difficult. “He’s not going to be able to generate that level of cultural cachet in his older years,” she said.

Ibrahim suspects, however, that not everyone will abandon Combs. “I do think he will retain a group of advocates, a group of emissaries, that will continue to protect him, and he will be allowed to be in specific spaces,” Ibrahim said. “While R. Kelly might not get played as much at parties, R. Kelly is ubiquitous.”

Warren Ballentine, an activist and national talk radio host, said the charges Combs was acquitted of may boost him in some respect.

“The fact that he beat a racketeering case is actually going to give him stronger credibility within the hip-hop community,” Ballentine said. “So, because of that, you may have a lot of these young artists mentioning his name in their songs. It’s sad to say that, but it’s the truth.”

Vibe music reporter Amber Corrine said the Combs trial may bring about a larger reckoning in the industry.

“I think this case forces a larger conversation about accountability amongst those power figures in entertainment,” she said. “Are we ready to confront these big power players about things that they do?”

When Combs will be free again is uncertain. He has been in jail since his arrest last September and will remain there until his sentencing hearing on Oct. 3. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of four to five years. Considering he faced life in prison with a racketeering conviction, Combs made out far better than the worst-case scenario.

Corrine said the braggadocious producer may have been humbled by the experience, but will still likely “use this opportunity, especially with the not guilty verdicts, to say, ‘Hey. I told you I wasn’t guilty of that.’”

He may even pop up from time to time, “but do I think he’s going to be dropping music anytime soon?” she said. “Do I think we’ll see any more music videos from him? Any major business moves? No, not at this time.”

He will also have to heed advice, Ballentine said.

“If he has the right team around, and he has a good PR person, and he’s willing to listen to other people and not get caught up in his own emotion, he can show true remorse, and in 10 years, people will say, ‘Diddy is a good guy.’”

Ibrahim said she hopes people keep the accusations of abuse in mind, but expects public outrage to diminish over time into acceptance, which “would be unfortunate.”

“I would love to say that the stigma that has come out of the allegations would stick to Diddy forever,” she said. “But people are more willing than everyone wants to admit to slowly let things that are controversial back to their space if it has good memories.”

Adegbonmire agreed, saying time has a way of making people forget and forgive, sometimes no matter how egregious the violation. Combs’ legacy of producing lasting music could prevail as he moves toward redemption.

But he has to live a life without further controversy.

“Things fade into the rearview mirror,” Adegbonmire said. “That happens naturally. But people won’t remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel. And Sean Combs has had a legacy where he’s made folks feel really good. The question is: Can he make us feel good without doing harm?”