Diddy’s Daughters, King Combs Speak On Their Dad Receiving Global Icon Award
Sean “Diddy” Combs (now known as Love), took home the Global Icon Award at the 2023 MTV VMAs Tuesday night (Sept. 12).
Amongst many stars discussing their favorite “Diddy era” and sharing a memories with the music mogul on the pink carpet — like Roxanne Shante telling a hilarious Chinese food story — Diddy’s children also had much to say about the “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” entertainer.
As the world knows the 53-year-old to be an award-winning producer, rapper, businessman, actor and more, his children know him as “just their dad.”
The Bad Boy CEO‘s twin daughters, D’Lila and Jessie James, eldest daughter Chance and son, Christian, spoke with VIBE about who their dad is outside of the music industry. Diddy also has another son Justin, toddler daughter named Love and a bonus son, Quincy, whose father is Al B. Sure!.
“He’s very, very fun,” Chance beamed when asked about the version of Diddy that she gets. “Yeah, he’s the best dad ever,” Jessie James added.
Speaking to his parenting style, Chance, 17, began, “Yeah, amazing dad. He has a little bit of strict, a little bit of fun, but together it’s”… “it just makes the perfect combination,” D’Lila finished her sentence.
The girls were too young to witness the early eras of their dad, but the version they experience as teenagers includes a lot of dancing, such as learning his “Diddy Bop” and teaching him TikTok dances.
“We’re teaching him TikTok dances, but he’s teaching us older dances,” said Chance as D’Lila added, “…his Diddy Bop and all the classic stuff.” The girls claimed to be “perfecting” his signature move before they could show the world that they can do it, too.
However, his daughters were able to reveal their favorite song from his vast catalog, naming “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller and tracks from his upcoming album releasing this Friday (Sept. 15). “Songs on the new album that’s coming out are really, really good,” Chance declared without sharing the titles.
Joining the warm conversation after the girls was their older brother and rapper Christian, best known as King Combs.
“It’s an honor just to be here and be a part of it. You know what I’m saying?,” he spoke of his father being honored with the coveted award. “I’ve been watching my pops since I was young, I’m his biggest fan. So to see him get an Icon Award, he deserves it. I’m excited.”
King Combs, who performed with his dad that night, took it further back when sharing his favorite song by his dad. He named the 1997 hit, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” with Ma$e.
“I just feel like the video is so fly and just the sound of that was just so authentic,” he explained of his pick. “You could tell it was just natural for them at that time.”
Diddy is the third Global Icon Award recipient in MTV VMAs history. The award — which was adopted from the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2021 — was previously awarded to The Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The award “celebrates an artist or band whose unparalleled career and continued influence have achieved a unique level of global success in music and beyond” according to a press release from MTV.
The Harlem rep was also up for four VMAs this year, including Best Hip-Hop, Best R&B, and two Best Collaboration noms for “Gotta Move On,” with Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, and Yung Miami and “Creepin’ (Remix)” with Metro Boomin, the Weeknd, and 21 Savage. He also performed a career-spanning medley of hits, including a fiery set with Yung Miami and Keyshia Cole.
During his Global Icon acceptance speech, backed by his children and Mary J. Blige, Diddy said:
“This is a dream come true for me. I grew up watching MTV like, ‘Man I wish one day I could be up there.’ You know, I started out as a paperboy. I didn’t know I was gonna be here, started as a paperboy at 12 and then I was gonna be an NFL football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. My leg got broke the last year and I got depressed.”
He went on, “I would be in the clubs, dancing in New York City, doing my Diddy bop. And then people would see me and they would cast me for videos. That’s how I fell in love with the music industry. I saw the executives and I wanted to chase that dream. So I want to thank every executive, every producer, every songwriter.”
See his full speech below and Diddy’s children speaking on their father above.
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