The album never actually got released, and eventually, I had a nervous breakdown. Ever wondered what happened to Lil Jerome, that young recording artist who was with Diddy? It seems like if you choose to work with Diddy, your chances of success aren’t great—or worse. Look at the people he’s worked with in the music industry as evidence.
Kim, who was Andre’s personal assistant from the start, she’s passed away. Heavy D and Andre Harrell are gone too. Only Puffy and Al are left, and Al came close to death.
It’s weird how this keeps happening to so many of his artists, especially the ones on Bad Boy Records. The label really took off with The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Ready to Die,” putting them on the map. That’s when they signed Lil Jerome, this young R&B singer from Akron, Ohio. While he was with them, Lil Jerome dropped his first single, “Too Old for Me,” which was also on Bad Boy’s Greatest Hits Volume 1. They did a few remixes of it, like an R&B version and a Shorty and Nori Remix with N.O.R.E., and Diddy adding his ad-libs. Lil Jerome also did a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer” for the Belly soundtrack. After that, he put out a couple more tracks, “No Disturbed Sign” with Heavy D and Diddy, and “Dear Yvette,” and then he just vanished from the scene.
Back in the day, Lil Jerome tried to explain what went down in an interview with Bad Boy Dog. When asked if leaving the label was his call, Jerome said, “Well, it was a mix of growing pains and the music biz pressure cooker. I had a nervous breakdown, and Puffy decided it was best to shelve the project.” So, leaving wasn’t really his choice; it was more about the circumstances. Jerome had actually lined up about 13 songs for an album before things took a turn.
He also talked about how puberty messed with his voice. Instead of the usual voice change, his voice matured in a way that didn’t work for him. On top of that, he was dealing with reflux disease, which messed with his ability to hit notes. It was a confusing time for him and the label—they didn’t know what was up. Looking back on getting dropped later on, Jerome said, “I didn’t realize until I left Bad Boy that it was really…” He also mentioned how puberty hit him emotionally, saying, “You know how puberty throws your body for a loop.” All these changes were happening just as he was gearing up to drop his album, juggling studio sessions and photo shoots one after another. It all got to be too much, and the pressure and growing pains got the best of him, leading to his breakdown.
You won’t believe this story about Diddy and Lil Jerome. Apparently, during the filming of Lil Jerome’s “Dear Yvette” music video, Jerome had a panic attack in his trailer and never came out. He was all set to go, dressed up and ready for the camera, with his family there and everything. They waited for hours, but he just couldn’t do it. Instead, they filmed scenes around Coney Island without him. Eventually, Diddy said, “Forget it,” and scrapped the whole project.
As for why Diddy didn’t seem to care much, it’s because once Jerome got sick, Diddy didn’t see him as profitable anymore. It wasn’t Jerome’s fault, but Diddy dropped him pretty quickly. If Diddy really cared about Jerome, he would’ve taken the time to understand what was going on with him instead of just letting him go. Jerome even tried reaching out to others on the label, but no one wanted to deal with him.
After that, Jerome went on to earn degrees in international business and marketing. He became fluent in several languages like French, German, Spanish, Italian, and even picked up a bit of Chinese. Maybe getting dropped by Diddy was a blessing in disguise for him. It’s a stark contrast to how Carl Thomas was treated when he left Bad Boy Records after his brother died. Diddy called him just a week later, asking when he’d be back in the studio for more hits, completely disregarding his grief.
There was talk about Biggie wanting to leave Bad Boy Records for a better deal, as recounted by Diddy’s ex-bodyguard Gene Deal. Unfortunately, we all know how that story ended tragically. “He showed me,” I remember saying, “and told me, ‘You’re about to get that money.'” He then shared details of contracts involving Charlie Baltimore, Cam’ron, Lil Cease, Lil Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Tracy Murray, Tracy Lee, and The Commission, totaling around $62 million over several years.
Another ex-bodyguard, Uncle Ron, claimed he knew firsthand about Diddy planning something against Biggie. “Jay-Z and Puffy wanted Biggie. You don’t have to take my word for it, just look at the facts,” he said. Biggie had been vocal about wanting to break away from Bad Boy, feeling used and wanting to establish himself beyond the label. Uncle Ron even alleged he was offered $30,000 to harm Biggie on March 1, 1997, supposedly at Diddy’s behest, who allegedly wanted control of Biggie’s music rights.
Uncle Ron’s claims are controversial, but they raise serious questions about powerful figures. Many other artists from that era faded from public view, like Mase, who became a preacher, and Loon, who embraced Islam. Even Usher has hinted at unsettling experiences while working with Diddy. Additionally, before the tragic Astroworld incident, there was a deadly stampede at Diddy’s charity basketball game, where nine children lost their lives. Despite extensive security measures, the crowd managed to overwhelm the venue, leading to chaos.
It seems there’s been talk about Diddy being seen counting money while people were helping out at the event, right after nine kids were taken to the hospital. Some say they saw it with their own eyes, though Diddy denies it. There are even stories about strange chanting during a sit-down, like someone mentioning, “Puffy didn’t say a word at first, but then he joined us on the floor. We all sat in silence for about 10 minutes until Wolf, Puffy, and Sugar Dice started chanting something wild. The room got colder and colder, which made me uncomfortable because I prefer it hot.”
So, it might have been a good thing Lil Jerome got let go from Bad Boy Records. Do you think it was better for him? And what about these eerie incidents tied to people connected with Diddy? Is it some kind of curse? Who else had weird things happen after getting mixed up with Diddy? Drop those names in the comments below!
