2/29/00: Hifiart.com reports that additional charges have been brought against Puffy. 12 NYPD officers are willing to testify they heard and saw Puffy offer Wardel Fenderson (who was driving the Navigator they got caught in) $50k in cash and a diamond ring Puff gave Jen Lopez to take the rap for all this drama. The indictment came down the day of the Grammies. Puff won zip there as well. Double ouch.

This looks like Puffy finally bought into the "bad boy" image he created, shunning hus suburban roots and committing a crime with Shyne (Jamal Burrows, up on 3 counts of attempted murder, and pretty much as doomed as doomed can be). Not smart. Great way to lose a multi million dollar empire. Ask Suge (well, okay, Suge really was a thug, but he knows from losin' millions, we tell ya).

Oh, the Boondocks at Black Voices is lambasting this drama quite nicely. Go 'head Aaron, you write that strip, boy!

The following comment is also part of our Jay-Z coverage, already in progress.

Damage Control is appaled at the sheer idiocy of big money commercial rappers these days, and the sloppy means about which they seek to avoid imprisonment. In the gangsta flicks they so often refer to, people show you how to dodge indictments. Were they in the bathroom during these scenes?

We hope for speedy trials and convictions.

2/16/00: EUR reported on February 11 that Puff and Johnny Cochran stood before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Arlene Goldberg and entered a plea of "not guilty." He's continued with his public and business interests (his clothing line, donating to Hillary Clinton's NY senate campaign, et cetera) unhindered, but reports from policemen at the stationhouse where he was originally detained claim he offered his driver five figures to take the rap. In front of the desk sargeant. And numerous police officers.

The new conclusion of Damage Control is that he gets what he deserves. Puffy -- who, prior to having money, never came anywhere near a gun or the criminal lifestyle espoused in his music -- has sown seeds of discord and a bitter harvest has grown.

1/13/00: Puffy. Indicted on charges of "criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree." On the good side, this could be the end of irritating Bad Boy music (BMG has made noise about dropping the label to dodge bad press). On the bad side, another Black man screwing up and ending up on the business end of a jail cell.

People, if Damage Control can convey no other message to the world, we'd like you to take this home: DON'T GET CAUGHT. Some of you will do dumb things. We accept that. Just spend more time making sure you won't get caught than doing whatever dumbass thing you're doing. This is just dumb.

The operative steps briefly into first person

I was eight when my father said to me, "It ain't wrong 'til I catch you, boy." A Southern brother, "boy" was a three syllable word when he said it. I only got caught doing one wrong thing the entire time I lived with him after hearing that. Everything became a plan -- how to avoid detection, how to eliminate evidence, how to create an alibi. Being an only child at the time, this wasn't easy. But it was a valuable lesson. Let's hope more of our number can learn it.

1/12/00: In a follow up to our story on Jen Lopez going berserk, it appears she crashed the big Versace party in the company of industry insider and behind-the-scenes player Benny Medina, upon whose life the Fresh Prince of Bel Air was based upon. Likewise, we respond to reader commentary on our coverage. Just random tidbits.

This morning saw Jamal "Shyne" Burrows indicted for attempted murder, as the grand jury marinates on what to do about Mr. Combs. Evidence has been presented that a gun was thrown from the right rear seat -- where Puff was sitting -- during the mad dash from Club New York. The indications are that jail time is not impossible.

Peripheral drama: The club's owner Michael Bergos has been sued by a number of patrons, injured or feeling wronged as a result of the melee. Preliminary requests for damages top $800k. Not to mention the $50,000 he had to spend to repair damages and be open for New Year's.

Damage Control is beginning to believe Puffy was stupid enough to do this, or if not he's dumb enough to get framed for it. As sorry as we are for the families this will inconvenience, it does have a taste of chickens, freshly arrived at home.

1/5/00: The evidence is rolling in – dating someone as wack as Puffy can be a bad thing to your career. We'll tell you the news, then tell you why it's hilarious and sad.

According to Reuters, there was a high post New Year's party at the estate of slain botti boy Gianni Versace, hosted by his sister Donatella (not a Ninja Turtle). Attendees included Madonna and Gwenyth Paltrow. Jen Lopez, it seems, "infiltrated" this party (in ethnic English, she crashed that bad boy).

Upon entering, Madonna stood up and said, "dinner's over." As Jen sat down at the table (the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports), the rest of the guests got up and went to other areas of the mansion to chill.

Shortly before this whole imbroglio, Yahoo reports, Jen clowned Madonna and Gwyn in print, saying of Oscar-winner Paltrow, "I don't remember anything she was in. Some people get hot by association. I heard more about her and Brad Pitt than I ever heard about her work."

Of the Material Girl, Jen Dawg said, "Do I think she's a great performer? Yeah. Do I think she's a great actress? No. Acting is what I do. I'm like, 'Hey, don't spit on my craft.'"

Why is this bad news for Jen?

Well, she's a prominent Latina actress who's trying to make it big time. Despite solid work in flicks like U-Turn and Selena, Jen ain't never "opened big," i.e. starred in a huge money film that succeeded on the strength of her presence. She's still marketed as the spicy tamale with the big butt. She needs people.

Madonna, for all her faults, is big money that Jen is dumb to alienate. Paltrow won Best Actress at the frickin' Oscars, so you know she's grande dinero – goin' after her is likewise a dumb career move. It's not like Jen's album is a triumph of vocal agility and creativity, either. And crashing a party you weren't invited to? With rich white folk? Are you nuts?

This on top of the New York Post examining her high profile love life? Jen's agent and manager should ship her off to Aspen for a few months so she can stay outta trouble. Maybe sign her on some fly Miramax art flick ... woops, Gwenyth is Miramax's favorite girl, screwed that up.

Now don't get us wrong – Damage Control stands firmly against the old boy network of Hollywood and their aristocracy, and live to challenge if not burn down all that drama. However, we ain't tryin' to work up in it -- we all have real jobs. Jen lives in this world, and hacking off the power brokers there would be like us pulling a drive by on Network Solutions. Bad business, kid.

Back to the legal woes that spawned this special report at first, Jen sat for a couple of hours in front of a grand jury today and wasn't called, her affadavit testimony being sufficient so far. Puffy is up on felony gun posession. They both got Grammy nominations, but rumor is they're not even together, showing up and leaving seperately for the proceedings today.

The drama! More updates and analysis as it comes ...

1/4/00: There's nothing like a brush with gunfire and law enforcement to put a strain on a relationship. Jennifer Lopez, one of the world's hottest latinas, is reported to be mad unhappy with her "boyfriend" for getting her tied up in this whole drama. Reports say at the arrest, she yelled something like, "look at the trouble you got me into!" at the Puffster while crying her eyes out. After 14 hours at the precinct, chances are he wasn't gettin' none that night.

Jen hollered in Time Magazine that her arrest was "inappropriate," and the writer a cat named Christopher John Farley) painted a picture of Jen as an innocent bystander trapped in between a mistake and bad police procedure. EUR called that as distancing herself from the Puffman.

If Jen does dump him, she won't be single any longer than she wants to be. Judging from the assets she has at her command, even an engaged operative would have to admit that's quite a package.

12/29/99: ... and this is how the story goes ...

Late Sunday night, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs was at a night club with his reported girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and Jamal "Shyne" Burrow. Shots rang out. The trip broke camp under suspicious circumstances in a Lincoln Navigator.

After running a red light or two, they were pulled over by the police. The Navigator was searched and a stolen handgun was found. All three were carted off and booked.

Charges, subsequently, have been dropped against Lopez, America's Ethnic Sweetheart. Puffy is currently (as of 12/28/99) free on a reported $10,000 bail. Shyne is still being held, charged with (at the least) attempted murder.

Puffy has called a number of radio stations around the country to protest his innocence on air. He also held a press conference with his lawyer, Harry Slovis (don't sound like a brother, huh?) to reiterate.

Hm.

The last time Puffy made such a public protest of his innocence was when he was alleged to have beaten Interscope exec Steve Stoute. That immediately stinks of falsity. Shyne, only 19 years old, is looking like he has a humongous PATSY sign stapled to his chest. Lopez, of course, will watch the dirty water of this affair roll off her exquisitely shaped behind. On the heels of the Jay-Z imbroglio, the rap game looks very, very unpleasant.

We'll keep you updated as best we can.