Inside The Up-And-Down Friendship Between Diddy And Kanye West

The Sean "Diddy" Combs scandal had a ripple effect throughout the entertainment industry almost as soon as his September 2024 arrest became public knowledge. Many celebrities quickly found themselves under the microscope for what they've said about Diddy as virtually every friendship and acquaintance the rapper had over the last few decades became the subject of intense scrutiny and speculation. 

Unfortunately for fellow rapper Kanye West, an alleged incident has dragged him into the fray. In October 2024, a former personal assistant accused West of sexually assaulting her while the two were attending a record studio session hosted by Diddy. Although Diddy isn't accused of any wrongdoing in this incident, his alleged presence at the studio has ignited fresh interest in his long-standing connection with West, which has oscillated between best friends and worst enemies over the years. Although each man has had harsh words for the other at times, they have appeared to be each other's biggest fans on many occasions. Here, we'll take you inside the up-and-down friendship between these two controversial performers. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Mutual public appearances are par for the course in many celebrity friendships, and Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kanye West have been spotted together multiple times since they first met. For example, back in 2007, when Diddy was determined to hang out with William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, West was right by his side. The two were photographed chatting up the princes while attending an event in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. West may not have pursued the princes as heavily as Diddy reportedly did after this meeting, but he nevertheless appeared equally thrilled to hob-knob with royalty during the event. 

However, it appears the royal brothers weren't quite starstruck enough to play along: A YouTube clip shows West offering first William and then Harry his sunglasses at the event. Both refuse, with Harry very obviously saying "no, no, no." Despite this rebuking, West still found an opportunity to speak highly of Diddy; later in the clip, he can be heard saying, "This is my idol," while gesturing toward the since-disgraced producer. In response, Diddy smiles and briefly puts his arm around West's shoulders. The camaraderie they demonstrate in this clip shows that, at least in the early stages of their relationship, the rappers had a close bond. 

Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kanye West have mixed friendship with business by joining forces in the studio, although not as frequently as you might expect from two people who spoke so highly of each other. When their connection was in its infancy, the two had a meeting of the musical minds: Back in 2006, West stepped into the producer role for a song on Diddy's album "Press Play" called "Everything I Love." West originally made a name for himself producing music for other artists, so this early connection between the two rappers was a natural fit. 

Arguably, the height of their professional collaboration came in 2015, with Diddy serving as a producer for West's song "All Day," which hit the airwaves in the early spring. However, Diddy's production credit wasn't the only time they teamed up that year: West also became part of The Hitmen, a group Diddy assembled from some of the music industry's front-runners from the turn of the millennium. Both artists also lent their rap talents to the Ty Dolla $ign song "Guard Down," released in November. 

Earning a BET Lifetime Achievement Award is a tremendous milestone in a musician's career, and Sean "Diddy" Combs received that honor in 2022. However, what made the event even more noteworthy was the award's presenter: his then-friend, Kanye West. On what was already a star-studded night, West took to the stage with his face hidden behind a mask to sing Diddy's praises. He said, (via People): "I go to him for advice to this day. He inspires so many of my choices, so many of my life choices. My wife choices. Thanks for that, Puff." 

Implying your friend helped you pick your spouse is a very strong statement, especially when that spouse happens to be Kim Kardashian. However, West didn't stop there; he credited Diddy with paving the way for other performers and concluded with: "Puff, if I never told you I love you, you're my brother." This moving speech, coupled with a firm embrace between Diddy and West, suggests that their friendship was on good standing at the time of the ceremony. 

Kanye West's early acknowledgements of Sean "Diddy" Combs' influence on him were very heartwarming, and it appears the feeling was mutual. Although West's career began long after Diddy had already made a name for himself, the producer once credited his friend with reigniting his passion for music. In a 2008 video blog for Bad Boy Records (via YouTube), Diddy describes feeling disenchanted with fame after achieving such a high level of success, recalling a 1986 Run DMC concert that inspired him to pursue his dreams of being a hip-hop artist, and how that inspiration waned over the years. 

Diddy then gushes about how that changed after seeing West in concert, saying: "The other night I go to the Kanye West concert. You know, I'm going there to see Kanye do this thing. I don't have nothing but high expectations. The concert changed my life." He concludes his video by speaking to West directly: "I fell in love with hip-hop again and I wanted to say thank you, Kanye, for giving me that." The high level of respect and adoration Diddy and West seemed to have for each other could have had the makings of a life-long friendship, but a disagreement would later tear them apart. 

Kanye West isn't afraid to do some problematic and shocking things, or upset people in the process. In 2022, he wore a newly designed "White Lives Matter" T-shirt at a Paris exhibition of his new line of Yeezy clothing — a choice that immediately sparked controversy. However, the racially insensitive shirt also had another, perhaps unintended consequence: It upended West's friendship with Sean "Diddy" Combs.  

In a since-deleted Instagram post (via Billboard), Diddy says that he can't condone West's design: "I've always been there, and I will always support my brother Kanye as a freethinker. But the 'white lives matter' T-shirt, I don't rock with it, you know what I'm saying? I'm not with it." He then extols the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and urges his followers to avoid supporting West: "Don't wear the shirt. Don't buy the shirt. Don't play with the shirt. It's not a joke."

Of course, the ever-outspoken West wasn't willing to take this criticism lying down. He shared screenshots of a text message argument between the two in several since-deleted Instagram posts, and the conversation quickly got heated. In part, West said, "I didn't like our [conversation], I'm selling these tees. Nobody gets in between me and my money." After a few exchanges, West shut the conversation down by saying: "I love you and you guys are breaking my heart. I accept your apology in advance." However, it appears that apology never came; the two rappers have never again appeared to be as close as they were at the start of their friendship.