Andre Harrell was a pivotal force in the world of R&B and hip-hop. He worked at Def Jam Records as the vice president and general manager before founding Uptown Records. Though he's helped launch the careers of several artists in his own illustrious career, one of his most notable protegees to date in Diddy.
Earlier today, Diddy took to Instagram paying homage to his mentor. He shared a clip of a thank you speech he made where he credited Harrell for all of his success. "I'm only standing up here because you gave me the chance. You gave me the opportunity," he says in the speech. "As a Black man, you took me underneath your wing. You was patient with me. You taught me and you talked to me and you taught me about the game."
Diddy penned a heartfelt message to go along with the throwback clip in honor of his friend and mentor, who he admitted played the role of a father figure in his life.
"I honestly still can’t believe it. I’ve got to give myself the reality of this in doses. Because I can’t even handle this. I hope to God that you are all blessed to have someone in your life that loves you and believes in you like this man believed in me.… I’m going to miss him so much. I can’t even imagine life without Dre. God bless @gianni, @onealmcknight and the rest of the family," he wrote. "LOVE YOU FOREVER @andreharrell !!!!!!!!!!"