Da Band, Danity Kane, and the Downfall of Diddy
Analyzing "Making the Band," Millennial Music Lore, and A History of Workplace Abuse
Less than a week ago, I told y'all that the Scorpio Full Moon was a time when secrets and confessions come out, so it is no surprise that this week has been buzzing with discourse around the latest in Diddy's trial. In this light, I find myself taking a break from my Atlanta ethnography and wanting to share a previously published reflection on the rise and fall of Sean P. Diddy Combs and the early signs of his problematic behavior and abuse.
As a product of an East Coast hip-hop household, Diddy and his music empire, Bad Boy Records, were not just a part of my life but a soundtrack to my upbringing. Even as a child, I recall the profound impact of rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s untimely death and the bittersweet memory of the iconic performance of "I'll Be Missing You" that paid tribute to him.
The '90s were a whirlwind of Bad Boy's music, from Mase to Junior Mafia. I still vividly recall when Mase, a key figure in the Bad Boy family, chose to embark on a more spiritually guided path. After the transition, my family even took a break from Creflo Dollar and attended one of Mase's sermons in Atlanta. I even remember all the names and initials of Sean Combs, from Puffy to P. Diddy and even Brother Love.
More than anything, I remember the iconic MTV series "Making the Band." The show spanned several seasons throughout the early 2000s, following the music producer's quest to create the perfect musical ensemble. Through trials and tribulations, the judges narrowed down numerous artists to form a music group that faced tough challenges and criticism on their journey to releasing hit records.
From this series, Diddy launched the careers of Da Band, Day 26, Donny Klang, Danity Kane, and an intense dedication to alliterative "D" names. Despite the grit and talent of these artists, most contestants have yet to experience longevity in their collective or respective careers.
Consequently, I want to consider what we can learn about Diddy from "Making the Band" by tracing the series, the bands, and the concerns surrounding the rise and fall of these artists' careers. Additionally, I want to think about how the series unintentionally brought light to the hidden culture of hazing, psychological manipulation, and initiation in the music industry.
Making the Band and The Beginning of "The Bad Boy Curse"
In many ways, "Making the Band" marked the beginning of a new era for Bad Boy Records. Despite Diddy's success as a music producer in the 90s, the early 2000s brought substantial changes as many of the label's prominent artists were no longer active.
Notorious B.I.G. was tragically killed in 1997, Mase briefly left the music industry to become a minister in 1999, and Shyne was on trial for a shooting incident that implicated Diddy and Jennifer Lopez.
As a result, there were rumors about a "Bad Boy curse" because many artists who signed to the label faced tragic endings, legal issues, or significant career challenges. In this sense, the TV show "Making the Band" allowed the music mogul to enhance the record label's reputation by nurturing a new generation of artists with crossover appeal.
However, the series didn't start with P. Diddy. It debuted on ABC in 2000 for three seasons before moving to MTV in 2002. Like many previous reality TV music shows, the original "Making the Band" was hosted by Lou Pearlman (now facing his own scandals), who was behind successful boy bands like Backstreet Boys and kick-started the career of the popular boy band O-Town.
But, when MTV took over, Sean P. Diddy Combs joined to bring a Bad Boy touch to the creation of a boy band. Instead of looking for the traditional pop group of artists from across America, MTV's "Making the Band 2" focused on creating an eclectic music group distinctly reflective of New York. Creating competition between R&B and hip-hop artists, the first season concluded with a super-group of rappers and singers who would later become Da Band.
Season one whittled thousands of contestants down to the final six through challenges testing their skills in everything from studio production to performance. This final version of the Da Band included the singer Sara Rivers, the rapper who spits hot fire, Dylan Dilinjah John, Chopper "Young City," the female MC from Brooklyn, Babs, and the rappers E. Ness and Freddy P.
However, the testing didn't end there.
If you haven't seen MTV's "Making the Band," one of the most iconic scenes from the early 2000s reality television series occurs at the beginning of Season 2. After the season break, the contestants who have made it into the band meet up with Diddy, and he tells them they have become complacent about their craft. Therefore, they were forced to walk across New York to procure a cheesecake from Junior's in Brooklyn to prove their commitment to the music mogul.
Diddy presented the challenge as a team-building exercise and an ego test. However, it was a clear example of how psychologically manipulative and problematic reality television challenges can be.
In the scene, Diddy mentioned that it was not hazing. Yet, the challenges seemed very similar to those associated with fraternities, sororities, or secret societies, and almost identical to the challenge where the contestants had to rap the Sugarhill Gang in unison. Diddy's connections to HBCU Greek life and the negative response to the group's unwillingness also spoke volumes, in conjunction with his persona on the show.
Throughout the series, the contestants navigated Diddy's unpredictable emotions as he alternated between anger, criticism, and sporadic moments of approval. This volatile behavior continued beyond the Da Band season and into future iterations of the show.
There was also the expectation that the contestants would and should do whatever Diddy wanted, no matter how outlandish, because he was in charge, and they needed him to succeed in the music business.
Harsh Words and Hazing: On the Constant Criticism of the Contestants
Throughout every season of MTV's "Making the Band," there was a noticeable emphasis on meeting Diddy's high standards. One recurring theme was the constant critique of the women's bodies on the show.
These critiques began even before the series transitioned into the making of the all-women group Danity Kane in 2005, as there were subtle indications of Diddy's opinions on how women should and should not look.
Specifically, he expected his singers to portray a youthful femininity that would appeal to many audiences. However, most of the criticisms of women's appearances did not come from the public but directly from Diddy.
In Da Band, the mogul constantly critiqued the group's only singer, Sara Stokes, for her appearance and weight. These harsh critiques about women's weight were also a recurring issue with Danity Kane, and Diddy would often call out even the slightest weight gain among the contestants in the most rude and inappropriate ways.
At the time, most of these critiques went under the radar because they were a normal part of the discourse in the celebrity culture of the early 2000s. Diddy also prefaced his criticism by stating that he intended to help, not harm, the contestants by being truthful about how they would appear to the public.
However, similar arguments were used on shows like "America's Next Top Model," where the showrunners claimed to reflect industry norms and expectations rather than personal beliefs. But if the industry promotes toxic behaviors or beliefs, then it should be obvious that anyone perpetuating that culture is also engaging in toxicity.
Despite stating that his challenges and critiques of the contestants were not a form of hazing or initiation process, Diddy would justify his behavior by saying that these were the same experiences he had in the music industry. If the contestants couldn't handle it, he suggested they just leave. However, what he described fits the definition of hazing.
Passing down and recreating the same hardships for others that you had to face is a form of hazing and an initiation process. While many people believe that hardship is a necessity for achieving one's goals, the reality is that it is often more of a hindrance than a help. After the fact, many contestants revealed that the challenges and critiques they faced while working with Diddy hurt their careers.
The Bad Boy Curse Strikes Again: On the Negative Effects of Toxic Mentorship
In reflecting on old episodes of the series, I couldn't help but notice how Diddy's lack of support and outright dismissal of contestants often led to the demise of their careers. In the season finale of Season 3 of Danity Kane's season of MTV's "Making the Band," Diddy abruptly fires half of the women in the group without warning or explanation. Then, he selects one of the women, Dawn, to remain under contract as someone he would continue to work with moving forward.
Diddy's decision to withdraw his support at a critical moment led to the disbandment of a group at the height of its success. Due to his ego and ever-changing desires, Diddy often hindered the group's careers, which he had initially promised to support.
The pattern was evident in the careers of the winning contestants of "Making the Band," where Diddy would quickly move on to the next group with minimal investment in the previous bands. For example, following the Season 3 finale, Danity Kane was swiftly replaced by Day 26, demonstrating a recurring cycle. We also see similar tactics in how Diddy used Cassie's career to control her life and relationship with him.
So, although MTV's "Making the Band" was anticipated as a sign of a new era for Bad Boy Records, the only thing we learned from the series is how bad Diddy is at long-term support and mentorship. Instead of nurturing the careers of the talent he finds, he is constantly looking for the next group or artist he can abuse or use to advance his career.
Then, when he is done siphoning all of the resources and accolades from that group, he gets rid of them and moves on to the next in a way that is often publicly humiliating or psychologically damaging.
Although there has been a lot of discussion about Diddy's parties, Cassie's testimony, and additional allegations of sexual assault, violence, and other crimes, we can't ignore the fact that former employees have also come forward to share their experiences working for Diddy.
These accounts reveal a pattern of abuse and anger that is consistent with the court documents, videos, and reports about the music mogul. His management of his artists and the Bad Boy record label over the years reflects the same behavior. As a result, I am equally interested in monitoring potential lawsuits from individuals whose careers have been adversely affected by Sean P. Diddy Combs, because I am sure many more stories will come.