Twenty-eight years after the tragic death of the Notorious B.I.G. at just 24, the circumstances surrounding his unsolved murder continue to spark intrigue and speculation.
The new documentary *Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy*, premiering on Peacock, delves into these mysteries,
including rumors that hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs might have played a role in the drive-by shooting that claimed Biggie’s life on March 9, 1997.
The documentary features Gene Deal, a former bodyguard who worked closely with Diddy from 1991 to 2005, and who was present with him the night of Biggie’s death.
Deal reflects on the days leading up to the murder, describing Diddy as acting unusually anxious and even suspicious.
He recalls Diddy’s behavior at a Vibe magazine post-Soul Train Awards party in Los Angeles,
where Biggie was reportedly keen on attending a party in London, but Diddy was insistent that he stay behind.
Deal’s interview in the documentary sheds light on what he perceived as a tense atmosphere in the days before the tragedy. He states, “The week in which Biggie was murdered he was just acting real anxious and trying to get Big at this party,” suggesting that Diddy’s demeanor was unsettling and out of character.
On the night of the murder, Deal was with Diddy and Biggie at a separate after-party, following the Vibe event. After leaving the venue, Deal recalls the shocking moment when he and the others heard the gunshots that would take Biggie’s life. “Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!” Deal says, describing the sound of the drive-by shooting. Biggie, who had been sitting in his GMC Suburban at the time of the attack, was struck four times. As Deal recounts, they rushed him to the hospital, where he later passed away.
Despite Diddy’s longstanding denials of any involvement in Biggie’s murder, the documentary explores these lingering rumors surrounding the infamous event. Deal’s account reveals a haunting emotional moment as he tried to comfort Diddy at the hospital. “So Puff ran out the hospital door and he grabbed my arm. He said, ‘Gene, we gotta pray! We gotta pray! We gotta pray!’” Deal recalls. But in a raw moment of reality, Deal pushed his arm away and said, “Pray for what? That n—a’s dead, bruh.”
This emotional scene highlights the gravity of the situation, as Diddy appeared visibly stunned by the loss of his protégé. Throughout the documentary, *Making of a Bad Boy* emphasizes that Diddy has always denied any involvement in the murder of Biggie, as well as the murder of Tupac Shakur, whose death had occurred six months prior amid the East Coast/West Coast rap feud.
The documentary does not make definitive claims but raises uncomfortable questions about Diddy’s actions leading up to and following Biggie’s death. Ari Mark, the executive producer of *Making of a Bad Boy*, explains that the team behind the documentary took care not to make any bold accusations, stating, “We were really careful about making sure that we weren’t saying necessarily that these things happened, or that these things are necessarily true.” However, Mark adds, “It felt off… Something didn’t feel right. It felt like there’s more of a story.”
The documentary comes at a time when Diddy, now facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, is in the public eye for reasons other than his musical legacy. Legal teams representing Diddy have firmly denied the accusations brought forward in the documentary. “Sean Combs unequivocally denies the baseless allegations being circulated in connection with this documentary,” his attorneys said in response to the claims made by Deal and others.
For many fans of both Biggie and Diddy, the events surrounding Biggie’s death remain a painful and unresolved mystery. While the documentary doesn’t offer new conclusive evidence, it does delve into the atmosphere of tension and secrecy that surrounded the lives of these influential figures during the 1990s. As the investigation into Biggie’s murder continues to go unsolved, *Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy* serves as yet another chapter in the complicated history of the East Coast/West Coast rivalry and the tragic loss of one of rap’s most iconic voices.
Despite the years that have passed, the mystery surrounding the Notorious B.I.G.’s death persists, and documentaries like *Making of a Bad Boy* remind us that some questions may never be fully answered. As the hip-hop world continues to evolve, the legacy of Biggie Smalls lives on, and so does the debate surrounding his untimely demise.
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