Legendary music mogul and Howard University Alumnus Sean “Diddy” Combs was recently revealed by BET as their latest recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the annual BET Awards ceremony. Combs, who rose to prominence as the CEO of Bad Boy Records in the 1990’s, joins Queen Latifah as the second rapper to be honored.
“Diddy has always been a pioneering force in our community, breaking barriers, achieving unprecedented heights, blazing new trails, and, in so doing, raising the bar for all of us,” BET CEO Scott Mills said of Combs. “His virtuosity is matched only by his range – from music to media, culture, business, and philanthropy. We are delighted to have this opportunity to use our biggest stage to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of our friend Diddy.”
Jesse Collins, executive producer of the BET Awards and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment added, “Puff’s contributions to culture transcend hip hop. Growing up in D.C., I watched his rise at Howard University as he repped Black excellence from day one. It’s an honor to celebrate him now, while he is still on his incredible journey.”
Diddy attended Howard University in the late 80’s and majored in Business Management but left after two years in the 1990’s. He went on to intern with Andre Harrell at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 (in partnership with Arista Records). Since then, he’s been active in the Howard community. He spoke at Howard’s 2014 Commencement, where he also received an honorary doctorate. In 2016, he donated $1 million to the Howard University School Of Business.
The BET Awards, hosted by fellow Howard University alumna Taraji P. Henson, will occur on Sunday, June 26th at 8 PM EST. Click here to check out the list of nominees.
