Rapper Jadakiss explains why writing rap lyrics for Diddy was difficult

Jadakiss was a guest on this week’s episode of the podcast, The Personal Party, where he spoke about ghostwriting Sean Diddy Combs. The legendary rapper signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment label as a member of the rap trio The Lox. And for those who don’t know, Jadakiss was the lyricist behind some of Diddy’s memorable verses, like “It’s All About the Benjamins.” But he claims, “I really hated it.”

“I mean Puff, after giving him The Benjamin’s, Senorita, Victory, and a few remixes…I used to feel like it was taking too much away from me,” he told the co-host Smoke DZA. “I don’t know how to transform. It’s not like he’s n– I knew that from my old life and I can describe him as I think he should be.”

The ‘Time’s Up’ artist explained that writing for Diddy was difficult because they had no prior outside relationship: artist and label owner.

“I don’t feel like I could write the bars for myself and give it to him because I feel like it doesn’t suit him. He had too much money and I was still particularly grumpy,” he continued. “I couldn’t think of that much Versace, or on that financial level. So it was always in conflict with me to write for him. But he just kept telling me, ‘Give me the s— that you would say for yourself.’ I say: ‘It won’t suit you.’ But earlier he knew how to make it work.”

Arguably on everyone’s top 5 list of presenters, Jadakiss was originally known for writing a number of bad boy classics. That was all before he released a full-length solo album or project with The Lox. The group signed with Bad Boy in 1994, and three years later Jadakiss began work on Diddy’s debut album, Puff Daddy, No Way Out. It topped Billboard’s 200 Albums list and received a Grammy for Best Rap Album.

The Lox released their debut album Money, Power, Respect in 1998, followed by We Are The Streets in 2000. A year later, Jadakiss released his solo debut Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, along with four solo album projects.