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For years, Kanye West and Sean “Diddy” Combs were friends. Both men spoke highly of one another’s careers, and have shared the ways in which they have inspired one another. West once said that Combs influenced far more than just his career. He hinted that Combs had something to do with his marriage to Kim Kardashian.

Kanye West shared how Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs impacted him

At the 2022 BET Awards, West presented Combs with the Lifetime Achievement Award. West referred to Combs as his idol.

“I just need to meet this man,” West said when speaking about listening to Combs’ music (per the Daily Mail). “This is my favorite artist.”

He said he idolized West.

“You see I’m saying favorite artist — everything, not specifically production, the trip,” West said. “Back then there was so many rules to hip-hop, and he broke all of them.”

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian walking together in 2020 at Paris Fashion Week. West is wearing a short-sleeve black shirt with black pants. Kardashian is wearing a gold bodysuit with gloves.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West | Marc Piasecki/WireImage

Combs’ influence on West went beyond his music career. He said he had a strong impact on his personal life as well. West hinted that Combs was somehow involved in his marriage to Kardashian.

“I go to him for advice to this day,” he said. “He inspired so many of my choices. So many of my life choices. My wife choices.”

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs said a Kanye West concert changed his life

Combs also spoke highly of West. He said one of the rapper’s concerts changed his life.

“The other night I go to the Kanye West concert and I’m going there to see Kanye do this thing,” he said. “I don’t have anything but high expectations, the concert changed my life. I won’t lie I was so impressed and inspired.”

Combs said it made him fall in love with the genre again.

“It was beautiful and I fell in love with hip hop again and I want to say thank you Kanye for giving me that,” he said. “It’s important that people know you did your mother f***ing thing. That’s just from one brother to another. But we’ve got to say that to each other, you’ve given me a gift and you’ve given us all a lot. A gift. Thanks a lot man. We appreciate it, I appreciate it. I’m just keeping it real. That’s all y’all.”

Their friendship fell apart

In recent years, however, Combs and West’s relationship crumbled. After West wore a “White Lives Matter,” Combs spoke out against him on Instagram. 

Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Kanye West wear white suit jackets and black shirts with sunglasses.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Kanye West | Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
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“I’m not with it and with the press and with [what] fashion is doing, thinking this is a joke, when, right now, all America has planned for us is poverty, incarceration, and death,” he wrote. “So, before I can get to any other ‘Lives Matter,’ which all lives matter, you know what I’m sayin’? That Black Lives Matter, don’t play with it. Don’t wear the shirt, don’t buy the shirt, don’t play with the shirt. It’s not a joke.”

In since-deleted posts, West shared angry texts between himself and Combs. In them, West told Combs not to bother him about it and declared “war” on him.