Over a decade ago, tensions flared at an afterparty following the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards when Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly threatened rapper J. Cole during a dispute over Kendrick Lamar’s controversial verse on the track Control.
Terrence ‘Punch’ Henderson, the president of Top Dawg Entertainment, recently revisited the incident, which took place in a New York City nightclub.
During a recent appearance on Tank and J. Valentine’s R&B Money podcast, Punch recalled the explosive encounter, providing a vivid account of the altercation between the two music moguls. According to Punch, the fight was sparked by Lamar’s ‘Control’ verse, which had stirred up controversy among many rappers, including Cole and Diddy.
Punch explained that the evening began like any other, with his crew heading to a club in NYC to gauge reactions to Lamar’s music. However, what started as casual discussions about the song quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. As Punch recalled, the tension in the room was palpable, with celebrities from across the entertainment industry witnessing the drama unfold.
Punch described how the confrontation between Cole and Diddy took a dark turn when Diddy, apparently fueled by alcohol, grabbed a bottle and threatened Cole. Allegedly, Diddy declared that if Cole spoke to him in a certain way again, he would slash his throat. Cole, not backing down, responded by attempting to de-escalate the situation, but it quickly turned into a scuffle, with both men knocking drinks over and falling into the table.
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The fight escalated when others in the VIP section got involved, including a friend of Diddy’s who mistakenly started attacking an artist from another label. The chaos only settled when cooler heads prevailed, but the encounter left a lasting impression on all those present, including Punch, who described it as one of the most intense moments he had witnessed.
