Are Ye & Diddy Frenemies? Examining Their Relationship

Kanye West and Diddy are two of the most controversial figures in pop culture today. They've both made headlines individually for an array of accusations and actions, as well as for their on-again, off-again relationship. Questions about the status of their friendship were sparked once more in 2024 after Ye reportedly snubbed Diddy at Rolling Loud. So, where do these two stand? Let’s take a trip down their friendship timeline. 

Amid Ye’s highly publicized rift with another music industry legend, Jay-Z, the two were spotted at Diddy’s extravagant birthday bash. Ye and Jay-Z seemed to squash their beef during the event, at least temporarily. Similarly, Ye was seen taking pictures with Diddy as the two chatted during the event. Things were pretty calm in the years following the party. 

Ye made a surprise attendance at the 2022 BET Awards to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Diddy. His kind words of praise for Combs showed that the two were still on good terms at the time and had mutual respect. During Ye's speech, he asked, "How do we crown our kings? How do we appreciate our kings?" He also added that he "goes to [Diddy] for advice to this day" and that Diddy "inspired so many of my life choices, my wife's choices” (referring to his then-wife, Kim Kardashian). 

He ended his speech by saying, "This man has been through and survived a lot of stuff and broke down a lot of doors so we can be standing. He also added, “He broke down so many doors of classism, taste, culture, swag. Puff, if I never told you, I love you. You’re my brother.” The heartfelt moment was capped with a hug shared between Ye and Diddy.

Only a few months after their emotional embrace on the BET stage, Diddy spoke about Kanye following the rapper’s controversial “White Lives Matter” shirt. In an interview on The Breakfast Club, he seemed to defend Ye’s actions. Diddy referred to Kanye as a “free thinker.” Furthermore, he maintained that many of the things Ye says and does are “misconstrued.”

When he was accused by Charlamagne The God of defending Ye, Diddy insisted that he wasn’t. Instead, he clarified his stance by explaining where he felt Ye was coming from. He concluded by saying that Ye didn’t need to be condemned or canceled, but rather, he should take accountability for his actions. A few days later, Diddy shared a video on his Instagram, addressing the White Lives Matter shirt once again. In the video, he said, “I’ll always support my brother Kanye as a freethinker, but the ‘white lives matter’ shirt, I don’t rock with it.”

Ye didn't take so kindly to Diddy's statements about his shirt, both in public and private. As a result, he responded with a series of Instagram posts. They included screenshots of texts between him and Diddy where things got a bit heated. Diddy asked for Ye to meet him in person, saying, "Let's stop playing these internet games." However, Ye responded with hostility, saying he would use Diddy as "an example to show the Jewish people that told [Diddy] to call me that no one can threaten or influence me," also adding that "this is a war." 

When Diddy stated that he was just trying to speak to Ye as a Black man because his actions were hurting the culture, Ye stated that he would be posting anything that Diddy said. He doubled down on his actions, saying, “I’m selling these tees. Nobody gets in between me and my money,” alongside other aggravated comments. He later deleted all the posts as he is known to do, but it seems the two never reconciled from the beef. 

Just a week after their public feud began, Ye was interviewed on an episode of Drink Champs, where he had a lot to say about many rappers in the industry. Naming Diddy, alongside Meek Mill and others, Ye called them feds. He also claimed they turned on him to save themselves from serving time. The interview was later taken down for Kanye's racist and antisemitic comments. Nonetheless, it began to resurface in 2024 following the FBI raid on Diddy's homes. 

The most recent public encounter between the two music juggernauts happened at Rolling Loud in Los Angeles. The two had seemingly not reconciled since butting heads in 2022, and Ye's treatment of Diddy at Rolling Loud was proof of that. Diddy was seen watching Ye's Rolling Loud set with his son Justin Combs. Rumor had it that he planned on speaking with Ye privately after the set. However, Complex reported that Kanye allegedly curved Diddy, declining to speak with him and leaving without saying a word to the rapper.

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