Puffy then distinctly mentions 1995 and working together during Mobb Deep’s The Infamous period. While Nas was a guest on the album, Puff’ appeared in the “Survival Of The Fittest” music video. “I pulled up [in my burgundy Range Rover] in Queensbridge. Mobb Deep was shooting a video [for ‘Survival Of The Fittest’]. They [were previously] my interns; a lot of people don’t know that. I was trying to keep [Prodigy and Havoc] out of trouble, out of school. They would come and do their schoolwork; I was trying my best to keep them out of trouble. So I’d come and I’d [appear] in their video,” reveals Puffy. Last week, Prodigy told the Rap Radar that Diddy wanted to sign Mobb Deep as Bad Boy’s first act. Continuing, Puffy says, “So I called Nas; I’m on the way. We’re in the video [together]. I’m still ‘Puff’ [at this time]. I [had] passed the seven-figure mark. I’m out in Queensbridge, by myself, no security. Nas’ll tell you. I’m out there—I’m in the video, makin’ a cameo. ‘Cause you know Puff’ ‘all in the video, all on the mothafukkin’ records,’ and now I’m here, nikka! Now, I’m here. You see it! Aiight? Take that!” In the speech, Puff Daddy mimics Suge Knight’s August 1995 Source Awards speech—which subliminally dissed him. “Take that” references “Who Shot Ya?,” a 1995 Biggie B-side with Puff’s ad-libs on it that fueled the impending beef. However, Puff adds that this is not about bad blood of any kind. “And take this one with love and God bless you if it was meant for you.”
Moving specifically to Nas’ style, the Revolt founder declares that in the ’90s, he marveled at his peer’s fashion. “There’s no way he’s from Queens, ’cause my man is just so mothafukkin’ fly. I wanted the sneakers that he [had] on. [He brought back bucket hats]. So by the time we get to the ‘Hate Me Now’ video, I’m prepared. I showed up with two tour buses and I brought all my jewelry. Everybody was wearing one chain [at that time]. But because I was from Harlem, and he was from Queens, and there was that competitive spirit, he came to the back of my tour bus, he said ‘What you gonna do?’ I said, ‘I’m gonna wear all my jewelry, nikka.’” Allegedly, on Puffy’s bus, Nas vetoed that act of stunting. “He said, ‘Nah, it ain’t goin’ down like that. It’s my video; you give me half of that.’ So that’s how the multiple cross [and] chains [came to be].”
The controversial music video’s final edit caused Puff Daddy to attack Steve Stoute, due to the inclusion of a scene depicting Nas and Puffy on crucifixes, that Puff thought was going to be cut. When he saw the version air with the crucifixion scene still in tact, Puff Daddy allegedly assaulted Stoute with a champagne bottle. Stoute, part of Nas’ management, is seated beside Nas during this speech (and referenced by Puff) during the celebration of both artists. “[In the video], we was supposed to perform that in front of the bodega. I said, ‘fukk that! We gonna perform on top of that shyt; we gonna start a fukkin’ riot. We got Hype Williams [directing this video]; we gonna’ blow this shyt up! What the fukk is up, Nas? We got tigers and lions and Lou Rawls, nikka—the fukk is up? And that has been our relationship.”
