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When 50 Cent initially announced plans to put together a documentary surrounding Diddy and his longtime foe’s history of alleged sexual abuse tied to his federal case, many figured that was the G-Unit mogul back at his typical trolling ways.
Netflix picked up the documentary, produced by 50 Cent and directed by Alex Stapleton, and a release date for Tuesday (Dec. 2) was revealed last week, cementing that 50 was in fact very serious about putting the docuseries together.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning is broken down into four episodes about an hour in length each, detailing the rise and fall of Diddy, with contributions from those who worked close to him throughout his decorated hip-hop career — as well as those who were victims of his mental, physical and sexual abuse over the years. There’s also an episode dedicated to Diddy’s involvement in the East Coast-West Coast feud, and his ties to the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.
“I’ve been committed to real storytelling for years through G-Unit Film and Television,” 50 said in a statement. “I’m grateful to everyone who came forward and trusted us with their stories, and proud to have Alexandria Stapleton as the director on the project to bring this important story to the screen.”
The Reckoning filmmakers also got their hands also got their hands on revealing footage of Combs filming his day-to-day life in the days leading up to his eventual arrest on federal charges in September 2024.
“Being a woman in the industry, and going through the #MeToo movement — watching giants in music and film go on trial, and to know what their outcomes were … When Cassie dropped her lawsuit, I just thought this could go a million different directions,” director Stapleton added. “I wondered how she had the confidence to go out there against a mogul like Sean Combs. As a filmmaker, I instantly knew it was a stress test of whether we’ve changed as a culture, as far as being able to process allegations like this in a fair way.”
Stapleton continued: “This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial. Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal. I hope [this documentary] is a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being.”
The docuseries features interviews with a pair of jurors from Combs’ federal trial, who shed light on the jury’s decision to reach a mixed verdict as well as what they saw inside the courtroom.
Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison with time served after being found guilty on a pair of federal prostitution charges, but avoided the harsher charges when the embattled mogul was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking in October.
A spokesperson for Diddy declined to comment on the specific allegations made in the series. “Many of the people featured have longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues that have been documented for years,” Juda Engelmayer said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Several of these stories have already been addressed in court filings, and others were never raised in any legal forum because they’re simply not true. The project was built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification. Sean Combs will continue to address legitimate matters through the legal process, not through a biased Netflix production.”
Here are 10 things we learned about from Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
Two Jurors From Diddy’s Federal Trial Speak Out
Aubrey O’Day participated in Netflix’s Sean Combs: The Reckoning, and the four-part explosive docuseries found the former Danity Kane member addressing her removal from the Making The Band girl group, as well as claims she was sexually assaulted by Diddy.
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“Diddy made it clear that I was ‘the looker,” she said in an early episode. “I remember that phrase a lot. He was separating me and there was a different set of expectations from me, and I just naturally float into the grooming.”
O’Day also alleged that Diddy repeatedly “crossed the line” and sent explicit emails that included photos of his penis.
“I don’t wanna just f—k you. I wanna turn you out,” she reads from an alleged email from Combs. “I can see you being with some motherf—er that you tell what to do. I make my woman do what I tell her to do, and she loves it. I just want — and like — to do things different. I’ma finish watching this porn and finish masturbating. I’ll think of you, happy face. If you change your mind and get ready to do what I say, hit me. Happy face. God bless, Diddy. God is the greatest.”
O’Day was part of season three of Making the Band in 2005 and picked to be a member of Danity Kane. She was eventually removed from the group when Diddy announced she was fired in 2008.
Episode four of the 50 Cent-produced docuseries features a heartbreaking scene, which finds O’Day reading an affidavit from an alleged witness to the singer being sexually assaulted by Diddy and another individual in a studio room. O’Day says she has no recollection of the assault taking place.
The affidavit claims O’Day was naked from the waist down when a witness stumbled into a room while looking for the studio’s bathroom and recalled opening the door to a horrifying scene, where “Puff Daddy was penetrating in her vagina, and there was another stalky light-skinned man with his penis in her mouth.”
“I didn’t have a recollection of this,” O’Day said. “I didn’t drink like that at all — I don’t drink at all, it’s never been an issue with me. Does this mean I was raped? Is that what this means? I don’t even know if I was raped, and I don’t want to know. I don’t want to find out any more than that woman has to say.”
She continued: “If she made it up, I would be compelled to take her the f–k down. You realize the burden that that puts on my soul for the past year, which is if I expose one victim who’s got a civil lawsuit, that gives Diddy and his legal team credit to take down everybody else as potential liars. Says Aubrey O’Day. It goes right back on my shoulders, just like that. The weight of that man and his bulls—t, I will never get up from under it.”
A spokesperson for Diddy declined to comment on the specific allegations made in the series. “Many of the people featured have longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues that have been documented for years,” Juda Engelmayer said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Several of these stories have already been addressed in court filings, and others were never raised in any legal forum because they’re simply not true. The project was built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification. Sean Combs will continue to address legitimate matters through the legal process, not through a biased Netflix production.”
If you or someone you know is struggling and in need of help in the wake of sexual assault, please contact RAINN at 800-656-4673 or at online.rainn.org.
‘Tis the season again: to make a list, check it twice (and a couple more times for good measure) and then reveal who are the hottest artists of the year. In this case, we’re talking Billboard’s staff picks of the R&B artists who left the most indelible footprints in 2025.
Before moving forward, let’s underscore that these picks were not decided strictly by chart data. As we previously mentioned on our initial list in February, while chart success was a factor in the staff discussion, other criteria was also taken into account: vocal performance, musical and lyrical resonance, cultural buzz, touring success and business endeavors and partnerships.
There’s no doubt that some R&B fans will disagree with these staff picks and decry that other artists are more deserving of a slot on the list. However, there’s also no doubt that both sides can agree on one thing: that 2025 was a strong year for R&B.
As noted in Billboard’s October story predicting which R&B artists would score nominations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, this year witnessed anticipated returns (Justin Bieber, GIVĒON, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani, Bryson Tiller) and breakthroughs by a mix of established and rising stars (Ravyn Lenae, Mariah the Scientist, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Leon Thomas).
This year also uncorked a refreshing blend of contemporary, alternative and traditional R&B as fermented by the aforementioned in addition to genre torch bearers such as Lalah Hathaway and Bilal plus promising movers and shakers such as Durand Bernarr, Kwn and Destin Conrad. Also notching notable buzz this year: Odeal and Summer Walker, the latter sliding under the wire with the final chapter in her Over It trilogy. Additional honorable mentions making in-roads in 2025 include Elmiene, Khamari and Alex Isley.
Then put another check in the win column labeled tours: R&B turned up and showed out this year, thanks to supremely successful runs by Chris Brown on his first-ever stadium world tour with special guests Tiller, Jhené Aiko and Walker; Brandy and Monica’s BPC Presents: The Boy Is Mine Tour; and The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage. Tour starring Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills.
R&B also will be taking center stage once again at the upcoming Super Bowl LX pre-game festivities, when Coco Jones will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Jones follows in the footsteps of Ledisi — the former’s fellow Grammy-winning colleague and also 2026 Grammy nominee — who memorably performed “Lift” at last year’s Super Bowl pre-game celebration.
All of which underscores another truth that can be agreed upon: R&B is doing the damn thing! With that said, let’s now unveil the hottest R&B artists of 2025.
kwn (Feb. 2025 Rank: N/A)
Image Credit: Easy Ramsey
Trending on Billboard Florida rapper POORSTACY, real name Carlito Milfort Jr., has died at age 26. As confirmed by the Boca Raton Police Department, the 26-year-old rapper died Saturday after an “incident” at a disclosed address. Fans have flooded POORSTACY’s Instagram posts with comments implying that he died by suicide, but the cause of death […]
Trending on Billboard Central Cee has said only one rapper has made him feel broke, and it was none other than the 6 God himself. The U.K. rapper was interviewed by Instagram channel Rambo Is Talking, and when asked if any rapper has ever made him feel broke, had only one answer in mind: Drake. […]
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Toosii is trading platinum plaques for touchdowns. Following a slew of college visits, the 25-year-old rapper (real name Nau’jour Grainger) announced on Monday (Dec. 1) that he has committed to Syracuse University to play football next fall.
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“For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality,” Toosii wrote on social media to accompany a photo shoot in his new Orange threads. “God’s will is the way and no one can stop it not even the devil. I wanna thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for even giving me the strength to chase what I believed when so many people told me I couldn’t. Thank you to the people who supported me as well, it never go unnoticed.”
He continued: “To be born in Syracuse and move to North Carolina at age 12 and haven’t been back since. When Coach Fran called, I knew it was a sign from God. So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”
Toosii starred as a wide receiver at Rolesville High School in North Carolina and retained four years of eligibility as a college athlete after graduating from high school in 2018. The rapper was also born in Syracuse, which could’ve played a role in his decision.
He revealed over the summer that he had plans to put music on the back burner and fully commit to training for a potential football career. After recently wrapping up supporting YoungBoy Never Broke Again on his North American arena tour, Toosii announced his plans to play for coach Fran Brown Jr. at Cuse.
Toosii reportedly had multiple options as he received an offer to play at Sacramento State while also making visits to North Carolina State University and Duke University, but ultimately decided to stay close to his roots in Syracuse, where he grew up before moving to North Carolina as a teen.
Toosii, who notched a top-five Billboard Hot 100 hit with 2023’s “Favorite Song,” received plenty of love from his peers and fans for making the pivot from rap to sports, looking to fulfill a childhood dream. DDG, Wallo and Seddy Hendrix were among those cheering him on in his comment section on IG.
Listed at 5’8″, 165 pounds, Toosii will look to help restore Syracuse football following a lowly 3-9 season in 2025. A representative for Syracuse’s Athletics department declined to answer Billboard‘s request for comment, citing NCAA rules prohibiting comments on prospective student athletes.
50 Cent has said Diddy‘s publicist is accusing the G-Unit leader of being an “adversary” against Puff because of his new Netflix documentary. 50 Cent and Diddy have been going back and forth all day in the wake of the former’s new four part Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning, which is set to hit […]
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After dominating the year with “Mute” and “Whites,” a late 2024 release that quickly took over the diaspora and received a remix from French Montana, Masicka is closing out 2025 with a tender new EP dedicated to the ladies.
Titled Her Name Is Love, the new EP arrives on Dec. 19 via Def Jam Recordings, following the October release of lead single “Keys,” which recently crossed over one million Spotify streams. For Masicka, “Keys” opens the door to the EP’s celebration of women, desire, closeness and the emotional richness that can be found in relationships. “Baby, your body speaks to me, free to me/ She got the keys to my heart,” he croons over the 1Mind & Westen Weiss-produced riddim.
“Her Name Is Love is really me tapping into another dimension of who I am, not stepping away from the grit, but showing that there’s more to the man behind the music,” he exclusively tells Billboard. “The ladies always support my work, and I wanted to create something that speaks directly to them… their stories, their strength, their emotions and the energy they bring to the culture. This EP is about connection, emotion and the different forms love can take.”
Despite waiting until the twelfth month of the year to unleash his new project, Masicka has had a very busy 2025. At August’s Caribbean Music Awards, he won four trophies, including dancehall song of the year (“Hit & Run,” with Shenseea and Di Genius) and reggae song of the year (“Been There Before,” with Romain Virgo). Those new pieces of hardware also complemented his string of buzzy collaborations with artists like Kranium (“Cut the Link”), Mahalia (“Different Type of Love”), Rvssian (“Rich Sex”) and Lila Iké (“Romantic”).
After a banner summer season, Masicka focused on helping his home country rebuild in the wake of this fall’s devastating Hurricane Melissa. His MADE foundation teamed with representatives from Member of Parliament Floyd Green’s office, renowned producer Dunw3ll and Red Stripe to bring food supplies, construction materials, steel and cement to St. Elizabeth.
Masicka made his Def Jam debut in 2023 with Generation of Kings, a 17-song set that reached No. 2 on Reggae Albums. That album, which featured collaborations with the likes of Dexta Daps and Spice, followed two independently released LPs: 2018’s Start from the Grung and 2021’s 438.
“Women always show me love, and this is my way of giving that energy back in a full, meaningful way,” Masicka says. “After the year I’ve had, everything aligned for me to put out a project that celebrates them and shows this refined side of my artistry.”
Check out the official artwork for Masicka’s Her Name Is Love EP below.
Masicka, “her name is Love”
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Trending on Billboard Megan Thee Stallion could be playing some more “Captain Hook” at sea this year. The Houston Hottie’s boyfriend, Klay Thompson, showed off his boat’s new name over the holiday weekend, which pays homage to Megan with the SS Stallion. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The NBA star took to his […]
Thanksgiving Weekend is normally a quiet time for new releases — but that doesn’t mean the worlds of hip-hop and R&B stopped spinning. On Thanksgiving (Nov. 27), R&B singer Ray J was taken into custody by Los Angeles police and charged with making a criminal threat after allegedly pointing a gun at his ex-wife, Princess […]
