How is Jay-Z Involved in the Diddy Lawsuits?

A$AP Rocky’s highly anticipated project, DON’T BE DUMB, will now drop in early 2025—no wonder he and Playboi Carti are friends. In other news: 

• Billboard Hot 100 📈

• Jay-Z is in legal hot water 😬

• Pusha T shares how Kendrick cut Drake deep 🔪 

• Industry Insights 🔎

Billboard Hot 100

The above chart shows Billboard’s Hot 100 ranking for this week. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on streaming activity, radio airplay audience impressions, and sales data—all measured by Luminate.

Christmas music is now “squabbling up” with songs from K. Dot’s newest album, GNX, pushing them down the charts. Meanwhile, “Timeless” from The Weeknd and Carti is making a comeback this week.

Jay-Z Named in Shocking Civil Lawsuit Alongside Diddy

With 24 Grammy Awards and billionaire status on his resumé, Jay-Z is easily one of the most successful rappers ever. He’s worked with numerous artists, including his wife Beyoncé, Ye, and Rihanna. However, one of his most notable collaborators, Diddy, has now put him in the “Diddy he do it?” spotlight. 

What is Jay-Z being accused of? 

A lawsuit originally filed in October was refiled on December 8 to include HOV (AKA Shawn Carter). The “Jane Doe” is claiming that she was assaulted first by Jay-Z and then by Diddy at an afterparty the night of the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. 

The lawsuit states that the defendant obtained access to the afterparty via Diddy’s limousine drive, who said she “fit what Diddy was looking for.” She had to sign a document she believed was a nondisclosure agreement on arrival and did not receive a copy. 

This is the first lawsuit filed by Tony Buzbee (who has recently submitted numerous other lawsuits against Diddy), which includes another high-profile defendant. 

Back in November, Buzbee was sued by a “John Doe” after sending him correspondence that the anonymous person found to be "'shamelessly attempting to extort exorbitant sums from him’ with the threat of litigation containing ‘entirely fabricated and malicious allegations of sexual assault,’" according to court documents. 

Buzbee said the man suing him was “a friend of Diddy’s ‘based on the fact that the two often attended similar events frequented by celebrities and said that the lawsuit against him was an "aggressive attempt to intimidate or silence me and ultimately my clients." Nevertheless, Jay-Z is letting the choppa sing. 

Jay-Z is fighting back

On December 8, Jay-Z released a statement about the allegations against him on social media. 

“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle. No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY,” he said. 

The rapper also filed on December 9 for the case to be dismissed or for the name of the “Jane Doe” to be released. 

“Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him – in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion – of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation, and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades … This Court has recognized that the nearly identical claims brought by other Plaintiffs represented by Attorney Buzbee do not meet the criteria to proceed anonymously,” his attorney, Alex Spiro, said in a memo. 

Buzbee responded to the rapper’s extortion claims on X December 9, stating that “...no one has made any threats. Jay Z’s assertions are bogus and laughable. Instead, our firm sent a standard demand letter seeking mediation on behalf of a woman who alleges Jay-Z sexually assaulted her as a minor …We intend to address all of these issues with the court in due course. Let me be clear: We will not be bullied or intimidated by these shenanigans. And our clients won’t be silenced.”

Despite what Jay-Z may be doing though to get away from controversy, social media is now digging into his past—for better or for worse. 

Pusha T Compares “Not Like Us” and “The Story of Adidon”

Back in May 2018, Pusha T dropped one of the craziest Drake diss tracks called “The Story of Adidon.” Complete with a cover photo of Drizzy in blackface, the rapper exposed Drake’s secret child, which we all know now as Adonis, and accused him of being a “culture vulture.”

It was the biggest mic-drop moment of rap beef in the millennium until Kendrick Lamar spent 2024 conducting a lyrical masterclass in hating. “Not Like Us” surpassed “The Story of Adidon” as the best Drake diss, but Pusha T isn’t mad.

He recently shared his thoughts on the rap civil war and the differences between the two diss songs, giving the same “big fan of your work” energy that’s flooded UnitedHealthcare shooter Luigi Mangione’s socials. 

Pusha T is team K. Dot

While being interviewed at the Saint & Citizen’s “Saint Sessions Live” event at Art Basel in Miami, Pusha T reflected on why he felt Kendrick won the beef. 

“1,000 percent … I think that Kendrick is a lyricist and a lyricist that talks to your soul. Like, you could be clever, you can say cute things … But the truth really hurts and the truth cuts deep. And I think what Kendrick was doing was really talking to his soul. I believe that. And I believe that’ll cause you to tap out, that’ll cause you to sue, that’ll cause you to do a lot of things. It’s crazy. Listen, suing is crazy … it’s nuts.” he said. 

He then spoke about the differences between his Drake diss and K. Dot’s, sharing that he believes he plays “in a space that my music is, I guess ‘semi-popular,’ I don’t even know if it’s that popular…It’s a very niche group that messes with me. So, it’s easy to dismiss my wins because it’s not as loud as everyone else’s. Kendrick, on the other hand, his music is super popular so it’s a difference.”

Drake might have taken the L in the beef with both artists, but he is still widely popular — so much so that other artists allegedly didn’t want to work with Pusha T anymore after the diss dropped. 

Back in 2020, Pusha T was taken off the track “Paranoia” (which also featured Young Thug and Gunna) on the late rapper Pop Smoke’s project, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, because Thug crashed out when he realized the verse about Drake. 

The rapper might have made a few enemies during his time so far in the game, just like K. Dot. Regardless, though, Pusha T gave Kendrick his flowers, stating that” it's good to see lyricism be looked at and respected on such a high level and it’s dope because … what Kendrick did for what we do as rappers was very big.” 

• Quavo got a huge honor. He was named “Humanitarian of the Year” at this year’s Variety Hitmakers Brunch.

• We got more news on WHAM. The new Lil Baby album has officially been announced to drop on January 3rd to kick the new year off right.

• Future and Metro Boomin got another plaque to add to the wall. WE DON’T TRUST YOU is officially RIAA-certified platinum and the first rap album released this year to achieve this.  

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