Kanye West might have hinted at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ alleged crimes before Combs was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, as some of Kanye’s lyrics and public interactions with Diddy seem to suggest.
In his song *Carnival* with Ty Dolla Sign, Kanye referenced several controversial figures, including R. Kelly and Bill Cosby, both convicted of sexual crimes, and linked Diddy to the same level of scrutiny. Kanye rapped, *“Now I’m Ye-Kelly, b—h, now, I’m Bill Cosby, b—h. Now, I’m Puff Daddy rich that’s ‘Me Too’ me rich,”* implying that Diddy might be involved in actions associated with the Me Too movement, which exposed numerous high-profile figures for sexual misconduct. This lyric, released seven months prior to Diddy’s arrest, seemed to foreshadow the charges.
Kanye and Diddy’s relationship has been tumultuous over the years. A resurfaced text exchange between them highlights their personal tension. The argument, which Kanye posted online at the time, started over Kanye wearing a controversial “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, which Diddy took issue with. In the texts, Diddy tried to meet with Kanye face-to-face, expressing concern over the message Kanye was promoting.
However, the conversation quickly escalated, with Kanye responding aggressively: *“F— YOU. I didn’t like our convo. I’m selling these tees. Nobody gets in between me and my money.”* He also made a cryptic reference to being “green-lit” and warned Diddy not to contact him with negativity. Despite Diddy’s efforts to de-escalate the situation, telling Kanye he was only trying to speak as a fellow Black man, Kanye responded by saying he would post any further messages Diddy sent and sarcastically “accepted” Diddy’s apology in advance.
This exchange, along with Kanye’s cryptic lyrics, seems to suggest that Kanye had some insight into or suspicion of Diddy’s actions long before the formal charges came to light. Their back-and-forth also reflects broader tensions within the hip-hop community, where public disputes often reveal deeper rifts.
