Bad Boy Entertainment founder and Revolt TV mogul Diddy made a heartwarming tribute to hip-hop over the weekend as the genre celebrated its 50th anniversary. As one of the wealthiest figures in rap music, who has reaped many rewards from the culture, he had much to be grateful for.
Diddy (real name Sean Combs) has been at the centre of many cultural shifts integral to the hip-hop we know today and has contributed significantly to the genre as a producer, businessman and content creator.
Beginning his career as Puff Daddy, then evolving into P Diddy and now existing as Diddy, the multi-millionaire has been a cornerstone for the culture since the 1990s when he worked under Andre Harrell at Uptown Records and has been at the heart of East Coast rap ever since.
As hip-hop turns 50 years old, many artists and essential individuals have paid homage to the genre that made them. As a New York native who grew up in the 1980s, Combs knows hip-hop like no other and, as such, shared a particularly heartfelt tribute to the genre via Twitter.
Expressing his gratitude, the maverick wrote, “Dear Hip Hop, I remember the first time I met you. As a young man growing up in Harlem in Espanard Gardens. Seeing B-Boys carrying boomboxes and hearing your sound for the first time. You were a part of my childhood. We grew up together.”
He continued, “I was born three years before you. And since the day that we met, you changed my life. You gave me the audacity to dream and imagine a reality that didn’t exist. You made me feel like I mattered. You let me know that with you, I could change the world. I didn’t understand the meaning of culture until I met you. You have been there through my ups and downs, my tragedies and triumphs.”
However, he proceeded to write, “You saved my life. You gave me an opportunity with Andre Harrell and Uptown Records.” Nobody knows where Combs would have ended up without Andre Harrell. However, what is certain is that we would never have experienced the iconic Bad Boy era or heard huis talent. You can read his tweet below.