How Diddy survived the East Coast-West Coast rivalry in hip-hop beating Biggie, Tupac, and Suge Knight

2024 has been a tough year for Diddy, whose entire career came under scrutiny following the raids of Homeland Security in his LA and Miami homes in March. The rap mogul and business owner is currently on trial for multiple lawsuits involving s***ual abuse, racketeering, and trafficking.

As Diddy makes headlines for all the wrong reasons, many of his past feuds and rivalries are resurfacing and being explored from a new perspective. One such rivalry involves Suge Knight, Tupac, and Biggie—an East Coast-West Coast rivalry.

Here's an overview of the rivalry and how Diddy survived it following the elimination and downfall of others involved.

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The East Coast-West Coast rivalry started in the mid-nineties

The history of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry can be traced back to 1991, when Suge Knight co-founded Death Row Records in LA, California. Supported by producers like Dr Dre, The D.O.C., and Dick Griffey, the record label had artists like NWA and Snoop Dogg on its roster and quickly rose to fame.

Two years later, Diddy, recently fired from his intern position at Uptown Record, launched his record label, Bad Boy Records. Soon after, Bad Boy Records released its debut album, which became the year's highlight. Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die was the show-stealer of the album.

However, soon after the album's release, New York's Tupac Shakur moved to California and joined Knight's label. Shakur was Biggie's biggest competitor with two acclaimed albums and starring in three movies, just like Suge became Diddy's.

However, Shakur's happy days didn't last long; he was involved in a s** abuse trial and arrived in Manhattan to record with Little Shawn to raise his legal fees in November 1994. While stepping out of the studio, Tupac was robbed and shot five times. In an interview later, Shakur suggested that Biggie and Diddy were possibly behind the attack, as they saw him as a competitor.

At the Source Heads Awards in 1995, Suge Knight threw shade at the Bad Boys for Life rapper over his tendency to appear in his artists' music videos, saying:

"Any artist out there that want to be an artist and want to stay a star, and don’t want to have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos... All on the records... dancing, come to Death Row!"

While the rap mogul was visibly unhappy with the remark, when it was his turn to speak, he chose to go for unity, saying on stage:

"All this East and West – that needs to stop. So give it up for everybody from the East and the West that won tonight. One love."

In 1996, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry led to a bloody climax, with Tupac being shot in September and dying a few days later. Six months later, Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in a similar manner in March 1997.

While both murders remained unsolved for decades, it was speculated that the respective label owners were behind them.

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Knight's arrest in 2017 left Diddy as the last man standing in the East Coast-West Coast rivalry

With Shakur and Biggie out of the picture, Suge Knight and the Tell Me rapper were the last ones to take the East Coast-West Coast rivalry forward. While the duo still didn't see eye-to-eye, their paths seldom crossed.

In 2006, nine years after Biggie's death, Knight declared bankruptcy and gave up the ownership of Death Row Records, which Snoop Dogg then bought. In 2017, Suge was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for the death of Terry Carter and arrested for the same. According to Independent UK, the label owner will not be eligible for parole until October 2034.

With Knight's arrest, Diddy became the last man in the rivalry. The Victory rapper's career continued to flourish despite the downfall of other artists.

After his label's success, the rap mogul expanded his business ventures, launching Combs Wines & Spirits and co-founding REVOLT TV. However, it all came crashing down in 2023 with the Cassie Ventura lawsuit against Diddy, which led to many others speaking up about the abuse they allegedly suffered at the Satisfy You rapper's hands.

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Diddy is behind bars in the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, and many of his business partners—including Ciroc, REVOLT TV, and even his alma mater, Howard University—have cut all ties with him.