Kanye West made a surprise appearance some three hours into the BET Awards on Sunday night to pay tribute to Sean “Diddy” Combs, the show’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award.
His speech followed an elaborate performance that spanned Combs’ entire career, featuring cameos by Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Nas, Lil’ Kim, Busta Rhymes, the Lox, Bryson Tiller, Faith Evans and the Maverick City Choir. Following
Wearing a grey leather Hood by Air jacket, a matching baseball cap, a full black-stocking facial mask and shades, he gave a speech in Sean Combs’ honor, who has also called himself Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, just Diddy and most recently, simply Love. As West attests below, he is no stranger to changing names: Last year he legally changed his name to “Ye.” Below, he speaks movingly of Combs’ influence on him, stressing that he considers him an artist — and it is easy the influence of Combs viewing his entire creative and business output as part of a whole. Read West’s speech in full:
“How do we crown our kings? How do we appreciate our kings?,” he began. “To think how far we could just make if off of inspiration, to hear the way somebody chopped a sample in. Me and [friend] rushin’ to see who could get the Bad Boy mixtape and play back the original version of “Benjamins,” over and over, thinkin’ I was one of the Hit Men.
“I was signed to Puff without him knowing,” he laughed, adding “That statement is not legally binding!”
“To go to New York,” he continued. “And think that everybody had on leather jackets and new Tims every day…
“To see Puff in real life at the ‘Missing You’ video, just like me tapping free like a little kid — I just need to meet this man. This is my favorite artist. You see I’m saying favorite artist — everything, not specifically production, the trip. Back then there was so many rules to hip-hop and he broke all of them.
“Understood contracts in a way a lot of us still don’t. Understood money in a way a lot of us still don’t. I go to him for advice to this day. He inspired so many of my choices. So many of my life choices. My wife choices. And here we are. Thanks for that, Puff.
And here we are, y’all don’t understand, getting snuck into the club at 17 years old in Chicago, thinking we was part of Bad Boy.
This man was so famous, it was just good enough for me to be Chicago’s version of Puff. You know, I took a little hiatus. I said ‘I wanted to declare myself legally dead for a year.’ Nobody missing me. You know, I just want to be off the grid.
“Puff is pretty persistent. But I had to think. It’s like people, they get amnesia, like I should never have to call more than one time.
“Any of us in this room, if Puff ever need us, we need to jump and be there. This man has been through and survived a lot of stuff. Broke down a lot of doors so we could be standing. I know for me, that I could be here today.
He broke down so many doors of classism, taste, culture, swag. Puff, if I never told you, I love you. You’re my brother.
“I was at the dentist and I was taking nitrous oxide. I wouldn’t suggest it if anybody is stressed out. And I thought I know how it is to want to change your name. You might know him as Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Combs. But when it’s hitting a certain point, I thought at the end of it, all is love — all of it. All we have is love. In Jesus’ name, bring out Love.
Part 2 Kanye’s Diddy speech continued pic.twitter.com/SWr8ufDjt7
— Club Ambition (@_ClubAmbition) June 27, 2022
Part 3 final words pic.twitter.com/Zb2BFEJj37
— Club Ambition (@_ClubAmbition) June 27, 2022
From Variety US