Mark Curry Slams Diddy For Returning Artists Publishing Rights After Decrease In Value
Former Bad Boy Records rapper Mark Curry feels that Sean “Diddy” Combs’ decision to give artists back their publishing rights is too little, too late.
On Wednesday (Sept. 6), Curry, who was signed to Bad Boy during the first half of the ’00s and appeared on Diddy’s hit 2001 single “Bad Boy for Life,” shared his thoughts on his former CEO’s gesture in a social media post. The lyricist stated that he’d rather be compensated with a seven-figure payout than have the rights to his publishing, pointing to their seemingly decreased value.
“Diddy gave the publishing back… So what,” Curry wrote in the post’s caption. “It has no value… I want him to give me a million cash and then I can plan the rest of my life out well.” In an accompanying clip, the rapper reiterated his desire to be paid for his contributions to Bad Boy while revealing he had received his publishing rights back from Diddy “a long time ago.”
Curry then deemed Diddy’s seemingly hollow decision to return the publishing as a show of disrespect. “I said why don’t you just keep it and pay me? I don’t want the publishing; I want the money,” he declared. The artist continued to voice his gripes in the post’s comments, alluding to the positive impact having possession of his publishing could’ve had on his life during periods of financial uncertainty.
“Ever had somebody owe you 50 dollars.. when you needed it back.. they didn’t pay you.. then by the time they do pay you.. the 50 dollars doesn’t mean the same as it did when you needed it,” Curry asked, rhetorically. “That’s how I feel… I wanted that when it was making money.. not after it’s all gone.. what ima do with that? In fact.. it’s an insult.”
News of Diddy reassigning publishing rights back to his former artists surfaced earlier this week, with Variety reporting that the mogul’s decision came as part of his mission to promote and foster Black economic empowerment within the entertainment industry and other sectors.
“We’re told the rationale for this boils down to wanting to revolutionize the industry with this to empower artists and to switch up the dynamic — which has been a certain way for a long time,” a source told the outlet. “As part of his legacy, Diddy’s hoping to enrich others in his community.” The 53-year-old reportedly turned down several lucrative offers for the Bad Boy catalog, with bids reportedly peaking at nine figures.
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