'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Marc Lamont Hill supported Jay-Z's attorney Alex Spiro, who addressed claims about Jay-Z's professional ties with Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
On December 8, attorney Tony Buzbee refiled an October lawsuit, accusing Jay-Z and Diddy of assaulting a 13-year-old girl at a 2000 MTV Video Music Awards afterparty. Spiro denied the accusations and requested the court dismiss the lawsuit, citing the plaintiff's lack of standing and subject matter jurisdiction.
In a press roundtable on Monday (December 16) at Roc Nation's New York City office, Alex Spiro opened up about Jay-Z's relationship with Diddy. He told US Weekly (and other reporters):
Trending
“Mr. Carter has nothing to do with Mr. Combs’ case or Mr. Combs. They knew each other professionally for a number of years. Just like in all professions, people know each other. At the music awards, they support each other. If you go to the NBA All-Star game, they support each other. That’s just how professions work. There is no closer association between any of them. That’s also a matter of fiction.”
In a video released on December 17 on YouTube, Marc Lamont Hill supported Alex Spiro's claims.
"I can tell you that they don't kick it like that," he started. "I'm sure that they have been to some interesting places at interesting times. They've been in the game since the mid-nineties. I get that. But I also know for a fact that they live in their own worlds. Jay-Z is not rocking with Puff and vice-versa."
Marc Lamont Hill claimed Jay-Z and Diddy shared a bond beyond professionalism but supported Jay-Z's distancing himself to avoid being implicated in lawsuits against Diddy.
Diddy was arrested on September 16, 2024, on charges of s*x trafficking, racketeering, and pr*stitution-related offenses. He has been denied bail three times and remains in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Exploring the relationship between Diddy and Jay-Z
Jay-Z and Diddy have been two of the most prominent figures in the music industry for the last several decades. In the 1990s, they initiated a 'friendly rivalry' by starting their record labels, Bad Boy Records and Roc Nation. Over the years, Diddy and Jay-Z have collaborated on several musical numbers and have played a crucial role in creating a mainstream appeal for hip-hop culture.
Their first collaboration came in 1997 when the two worked on a record titled Young G's alongside The Notorious B.I.G. The song was included in Diddy's debut studio album called No Way Out. Even today, it has remained Diddy's bestselling album with over seven million copies sold in the United States. It also won Best Rap Album at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.
The two teamed up again for Diddy's second studio album Forever (1999). In the song Do You Like It....Do You Want It...., both Diddy and Jay-Z share a verse in which they go back and forth about their growing fame.
"Picture me ballin' in the drop top, open skies / In somethin' foreign, soarin', 145 / The God is callin' for my body, let my spirit fly / I want it all, uh, no lie / Picture me pourin' poppin' somethin' imported / Pedal floorin', clutch poppin', boppin' to Lauryn / Now picture me fallin," raps Jay-Z in the song.
The two have since had a strong working relationship, with both recording labels producing massive artists who continue to dominate charts across the world even today. Diddy's Bad Boy made way for juggernauts like Janelle Monae and The Notorious B.I.G. while Roc Nation has produced artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, and J. Cole. The success of both recording labels made them two of the richest music moguls alive.
Jay-Z first achieved billionaire status in 2019 and is currently listed as the wealthiest musician in the world as per Forbes. The 55-year-old has an estimated net worth of around $2.5 billion. His business ventures have currently spread to include art collections, real estate, and ownership in conglomerates like Uber, Armand de Brignac, D'Usse, and other companies.
Diddy, on the other hand, has dipped his toes into industries like fashion liquor, cannabis, and real estate. According to a September 2024 report by Forbes, the Bad Boy Records boss has a net worth of approximately $400 million.
