Diddy returning music rights to Bad Boy artists, including Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans

nme.com:

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has gone on to represent some of the biggest names in hip-hop, and make the label into one of the most influential of all time.Now, three decades after it first launched, the rapper and music mogul has confirmed that he is returning the music publishing rights back to the artists, rather than selling the catalogue.According to a report by Rolling Stone, the record label has already contacted numerous clients it represents – including Faith Evans, The Lox and The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate – to arrange to return the rights of their respective work, and the process is currently underway.At time of writing the terms of the agreement have not yet been made public, however, the move is an unprecedented one for the music industry, and has the capacity to shift the way that big labels manage the rights to an artist’s music.This comes as the move – which was allegedly first put in place back in 2021 – is a stark contrast to the number of famous musicians selling their catalogue in return for various fortunes in recent years.

These include Neil Young, who sold half his catalogue for a reported $150million (£110m), Tina Turner who signed a deal for $300million (£225m), Justin Bieber making an alleged $200million (£166.3million) from his, and Pink Floyd set to bring in around £400million.As per a statement shared on his behalf, Combs was reportedly offered various offers to acquire Bad Boy’s list for millions, however, turned them all down out of respect for the musicians.“[The decision is] part of a broader goal of promoting economic empowerment for Black artists and culture,” it read.The decision also comes after the industry mogul was criticised by fellow rapper Mase back in 2020, who described Diddy as a.