Puff Daddy proclaimed his innocence repeatedly during a two-part interview on “BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley.” “I’m totally innocent,” Puff said of his upcoming case on charges of gun possession.
The interview, which took place Wednesday and Thursday, spanned a variety of topics outside of Puff’s legal battles, from his relationship with Jennifer Lopez to his active involvement in charity work with Daddy’s House. When Smiley asked if he thought Biggie and 2Pac’s lyrical content contributed to their deaths, Puffy said that their murders were no different than those that happen on the streets every day. “Biggie’s a human being first. And 2Pac is a human being first. They were a part of our community. The reality is that other members of our community that aren’t named Biggie and 2Pac are getting gunned down… Biggie and 2Pac aren’t here — not because of hip-hop. They’re not here because of ignorance.” Puffy went on to say that people who blame hip-hop for their own violent crimes are wrong. “You can’t use hip-hop as a scapegoat.”
As far as the status of his relationship with Lopez, which has been the subject of countless rumors since the shooting took place in December 1999, Puffy said that the trying times have “made our relationship stronger, and more importantly, made our friendship stronger.”
