Jay-Z and Diddy friendship timeline: From rap collaborations to assault allegations

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Jay-Z has firmly rejected the recent claims in a lawsuit asserting that he and Sean "Diddy" Combs drugged and assaulted a 13-year-old girl at an afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000.

The 55-year-old hip-hop icon, known as Shawn Carter, called the lawsuit a "blackmail effort."

In an intense declaration, he cautioned the lawyers behind the case: "You've made a serious mistake by assuming that all 'celebrities' are alike."

Although Carter is currently separating himself from Combs, the two music industry giants from New York have encountered each other numerous times throughout their extensive careers at the forefront of pop culture.

They have worked together on music projects, contributed to charitable causes together, and expressed admiration for each other's achievements in rising to the status of self-made billionaires.

Here’s a chronological overview of the friendship between Carter and Combs throughout the years.

In 1993, Combs established his record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, and he quickly made waves in the music industry with The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut single, "Juicy," which came out in August 1994. Two years later, when Jay-Z released his first album, Reasonable Doubt, he playfully traded bars with Combs's top artist on a collaborative track titled "Brooklyn's Finest."

The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, was killed in a highly debated incident in March 1997. Following Wallace's passing, Combs channeled his sorrow into his first album, titled No Way Out, which he released using the name Puff Daddy and the Family. The album features Jay-Z on the song "Young G's," which also includes a contribution from Wallace, despite his passing.

Later that year, Combs returned the gesture by featuring on Jay-Z’s second album, *In My Lifetime, Vol. 1*. He collaborated with Carter and Lil’ Kim to co-write the song “I Know What Girls Like.”

In 1999, they teamed up once more for the track “Do You Like It… Do You Want It…” featured on Combs’s second album, Forever.

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Jay-Z first crossed paths with his current wife, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, at the dawn of the 2000s. After rising to stardom with her group Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé made her solo debut with the album Dangerously in Love in 2003. The album was kicked off by the huge international success “Crazy In Love,” which featured a partnership with Jay-Z. Additionally, the flip side of that single included “Summertime,” a collaboration with Diddy.

In 2005, following the destruction brought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Jay-Z and Diddy collaborated to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross. In a press release to the Associated Press, Jay-Z expressed: “This is our community. When I watch CNN, I see many black individuals on the streets. I know there are others affected as well, but those neighborhoods have suffered greatly.”

Combs remarked, “We're all linked through our families. When you hear black people refer to each other as ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters,’ they mean it. I genuinely feel connected to all these individuals; we are all part of the human family.”

In August 2007, Jay-Z and Diddy shared the stage at the traveling hip-hop festival Screamfest, which also featured 50 Cent and TI as headliners. Their performance gained attention when a video surfaced that appeared to show Diddy playfully slapping Jay-Z on the rear end twice. Fast forward to 2023, following serious charges against Diddy, 50 Cent reignited his ongoing rivalry with Combs by sharing the video on social media, captioning it: “Diddy in the back, patting on guys' butts. Nah, I'm not down with that. I've never been down with that.”

In a 2009 interview, Diddy reflected on a picture of him and Jay-Z chatting at one of his birthday celebrations. He shared, “That was during my birthday bash, and I was expressing my gratitude for him coming. He was on tour at the time and flew in on a private jet right after one of his performances just to attend my party, and then he had to head back out. I was just letting him know how much I valued his presence and our friendship. Although people often view us as rivals and different figures in the hip-hop world, that moment was really just two Black men appreciating one another.”

Diddy’s late partner, Kim Porter, who passed away from pneumonia in 2018, remarked, “We refer to that image as a secret society, and all we ask for is trust!”

In 2010, Forbes magazine published a list highlighting the wealthiest figures in hip-hop, placing Jay-Z at the top with an impressive income of $63 million from the previous year. Following closely was Diddy, who earned $30 million. The magazine commended both artists for their ability to diversify their sources of income. Jay-Z benefited from touring and had investments in the 40/40 nightclub chain and the New Jersey Nets basketball team. Meanwhile, Diddy’s earnings came from his Ciroc vodka brand and his involvement in the comedy film Get Him to the Greek.

The two industry leaders maintained their strong presence on Forbes' hip-hop rankings in the following years. In 2012, Diddy came in first on their wealth list, boasting an estimated fortune of $550 million, while Jay-Z secured the second spot with a net worth of $460 million.

In 2016, they came together for a performance in New York as part of the Puff Daddy and The Family Bad Boy Reunion Tour. Even though Jay-Z was never officially part of Diddy's label, Diddy acknowledged him from the stage, saying, “Bad Boy is marking 20 years of iconic songs, but this guy here is like family to me.” He went on to emphasize their bond by stating, “Whenever I'm in a tough spot, he's the one I turn to. He’s my strategist and my brother!”

In 2020, Diddy and Jay-Z marked their ongoing achievements at a brunch for Black billionaires organized by Jay-Z’s label, Roc Nation. During the event, Diddy addressed the attendees, stating, “It's 2020, everyone, and things have changed since 2016. The game has reached a new level. You know that we didn't hold back on anything. We hosted a Black billionaire gathering last year, and now we’re here, coming together and staying strong. We’re becoming closer, and together we are powerful.”

In April 2022, Jay-Z and Diddy were spotted together once more on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, joining the celebration as DJ Khaled was honored with his star.

Since federal agents searched Diddy’s properties on March 25, 2024, Jay-Z has remained silent regarding the serious accusations directed at his occasional friend and collaborator. The next day, 50 Cent took advantage of the situation by posting on Instagram a photo of a milk carton featuring Jay-Z’s image and the word "MISSING." He jokingly captioned it, “Anyone seen Jay? LOL,” suggesting that Combs might think “he isn’t picking up his calls.”

Yesterday, December 8, a federal lawsuit was reintroduced, accusing Jay-Z, along with Diddy, of drugging and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000. Jay-Z strongly denied these allegations.

"I’m a young man who grew up in the Brooklyn projects," he said in a statement. "We don’t engage in those kinds of games. We follow strict principles and values. We stand up for children, while you seem to take advantage of others for your own benefit. Only your group of conspiracy theorists and those with misguided ideas will buy into the ridiculous accusations you've made against me, which, if it weren't for the serious implications regarding the safety of kids, would be quite amusing."