Diddy allegedly took a Rolling Stone cover from the late Notorious B.I.G. in order to promote his debut album, No Way Out.
On Tuesday, Rolling Stone published an explosive investigative article on the embattled mogul that shed more light on some of his alleged behavior throughout his time at Howard University, Uptown Records, and Bad Boy Records. In one part of the article, former Bad Boy co-founder and president Kirk Burrowes recalled a time when Rolling Stone approached Bad Boy about giving Biggie Smalls a cover story in his honor.
According to Burrowes, he told Diddy to let Biggie be on the cover, but he selfishly took the offer for himself to gain promotion for his debut album, No Way Out. Biggie was already "dead," and Diddy felt he would fit the cover better since he had something to push.
"I was telling Sean, 'Let's make it Biggie. You still have a chance [for a cover in the future],'" Burrowes recalled. "He's like 'No, he's dead. I'm putting out [No Way Out] in July. I need to be on the cover of Rolling Stone."
Diddy got the 1997 cover where he posed in a fur coat, Versace underwear and a Chicago White Sox fitted cap with "B.I.G." written on his chest. The Rolling Stone article also highlighted that two years after the cover dropped, Diddy did an interview with them where he admitted Biggie's death brought in the big bucks.
"I think his passing added to the fame," Diddy told Rolling Stone. "At least 2 million [of the nearly 5 million copies of No Way Out] sold were due to [his death], straight up. And that doesn't necessarily feel good, but that's the reality."
The Rolling Stone article also highlighted how Biggie grew frustrated with Diddy and sought to get sole control of his career before his untimely murder. Biggie's friend and photographer Monique Bunn stated, "[Biggie] was absolutely about to leave Puff. I know for a fact [because] he told me that."
The once formidable duo saw a strain in their relationship, too, as their lawyers were embroiled in legal battles over Biggie's publishing rights, which Diddy allegedly did not want to relinquish. "I will never give it up until I'm dead and my bones are crushed into powder," Diddy told lawyers, according to the book The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop.
