Ex-gangster who was an associate of Diddy reveals he is filing a lawsuit against the disgraced mogul’s mother

Sean “Diddy” Combs used his mother’s name to allegedly start a criminal enterprise to hide money and other business deals, according to a former friend who worked with the disgraced Bad Boy mogul.

Deon ‘D1’ Best appeared on DailyMail.com’s podcast, ‘The Trial of Diddy‘, alleging that Combs used his mother Janice’s name to conceal artists’ publishing rights, including deals Best said he brokered in the late 1990s.

Best claims that his company, Finish Line Entertainment, signed artists to Diddy who worked on several albums for Bad Boy, including Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace’s 1999 “Born Again,” which reached platinum status and sold more than a million copies .

Best, 56, said the way Combs allegedly organized his business deals not only took publishing rights away from him and the artists who worked on the songs, but also cut them out of future income.

“All my publishing rights went to Janice Combs,” Best told DailyMail.com exclusively. “I’m here to talk about another part of his allegations… and what I’m led to believe concerns his mother, Janice Combs. The [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] is about holding people accountable for systematic actions.”

He added: “You know, these actions have caused financial and emotional hardship, but not only myself, but other artists in the industry, through what I feel are fraudulent and coercive activities. And I think Janice Combs falls under those guidelines.”

Best told DailyMail.com that he plans to sue Janice Combs and her company because the Bad Boy deals were signed in her name.

Meanwhile, Diddy remains in a Brooklyn jail facing multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

His lawyers would not comment on Best’s allegations. DailyMail.com has also reached out to Janice Combs’ attorneys for comment.

Best also alleged that Combs did the same with songs his company created on other albums, including rapper Black Rob’s 2000 album “Life Story” and Combs’ “Forever,” which also reached platinum status after it was released in 1999 .

While it was historically not uncommon for record label owners to take a percentage of an artist’s publications as part of their signing deal, artists have since backed out due to the potential future revenue their songs could generate.

Janice Combs, far right, walks out of a federal courthouse in Manhattan with her grandchildren.

Sean “Diddy” Combs remains in a Brooklyn jail as he awaits his May 2025 trial to face criminal charges on sex trafficking and racketeering charges

Other artists who worked with Combs, including Mark Curry, claim that Diddy was able to avoid certain deals because he allegedly used Janice Combs to make the deals.

In one 2020 rapper Mason ‘Ma$e’ Betha’s viral rant claimed that Diddy had also taken away his publishing rights.

“How dare this nigga talk about wanting receipts,” Ma$e said of Combs in the clip. “Let’s start with your mother, nigga. Your mother got the coupons, nigga. Everything is in your mother’s name. That’s the one that got the receipts, nigga.’

Best, who left gang life for religion and now coaches youth sports, said he became friends with Combs and Notorious BIG after they met at LA parties frequented by Hollywood A-Listers.

Best said the Bad Boy producer would call him for protection and “check in” to see if it was safe for him to be in certain parts of LA.

Diddy’s former collaborator, Deon Best, claims Diddy signed over his artist publishing rights to his mother, Janice

Biggie (left) and Diddy (right) perform at the International Ampitheater in Chicago in April 1995.

It was also at this point that Death Row’s Suge Knight, a native of Compton, allegedly threatened Combs, Best claims.

“So, you know, because this is my hometown, I knew how to maneuver through the community and through the streets,” Best said. “Let’s just say everyone was aware that Suge Knight and Puffy were in a situation.

“Suge’s a big guy. I’m not a big guy, but I had the kind of relationship with Suge where I could say, “You know what, Suge, take it easy.” And you know, he would respect the situation.”

When Combs and his artists came to L.A. to work on music or party, he bonded with Wallace, who was calmer than the “arrogant” Combs, Best said.

He claims he was with Wallace the night he was killed in a drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997, just outside the Petersen Automotive Museum, where Vibe magazine’s Soul Train Awards afterparty was being held.

Best said he warned Wallace that week to stay close to him while he was in LA. On that particular night, Best said he and Wallace were briefly separated as they left the party.

The next thing he heard were the fatal shots that would ultimately kill Wallace.

“I never understood why he wasn’t with me when we went out the door,” Best said. ‘I’m thinking about it more today. I felt like someone literally lured him away from me, pulled him away and said, ‘Let’s go this way.’

He continued, “I tried to explain that to him: ‘You know, man, you can’t just walk around alone.’

Best said he believes Biggie, Bad Boy’s most lucrative artists, wanted to leave the label and Combs shortly before his death.

Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie Ventura sued the Bad Boy mogul in 2023, claiming he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes and drugged and beat her.

Best said he was not surprised that the former mogul faces a possible life sentence if convicted on all charges.

He added that watching the now-viral video of Combs attacking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 made him angry.

“That video of Cassie broke my heart,” Best said. ‘I have two daughters, a mother, sisters. It’s like, “Wow, you can kick Cassie, but you don’t want to stand up to Suge?”