The early 2000s was a time in whichreality TVwas still identifying itself as a genre. Reality TV wasn’t the wild west adventure it is today, it was uncharted territory that creators were beginning to explore.It was at this time that Sean Combs, known as Puff Daddy at the time, created and premiered his showMaking the Bandon MTV.Making the Bandwas an instant hit where fans got to watch the full process of putting a supergroup together.Viewers loved watching the wild activities Diddy had his band trainees do to come together as a group. They seemed ridiculous, and they were. Despite this, Diddy insisted that these challenges and activities were necessary to become a true artist. And everyone, both on screen and off, believed that to be true.Since those days, the world has changed, and so has the ugly reality behindMaking the Bandhas come to light in recent years.
Diddy’s name has been at the forefront of all the headlines this week due to abombshell lawsuit dropped by singer and former girlfriendCassie.According to the lawsuit, Diddy groomed her at the start of their relationship, leading to physical and mental abuse throughout their 13 years together.It was so intense that the filed paperwork included a trigger warning. Cassie’s story empowered many more artists and former lovers of his to come out in support of her,as well as share their personal stories of Diddy’s alleged misdeeds.And while the case was settled within 24 hours, fans and musicians alike have been reflecting on Diddy’s career as a producer andsome of the shady activities he has allegedly participated in.
Diddy’s ‘Making the Band’ Was An Exercise in Masochism
Making the Bandwas a pop culture phenomenon. It was famously parodied onChappelle’s Show, with Dave Chappelle portraying Diddy.The sketch was funny, but it wasn’t necessarily too far from the truth. The most memorable moment fromMaking the Band2was when Diddy requested thatDa BandmembersSara Stokes, Lynese “Babs” Wiley, Dylan Dilinjah, Rodney “Chopper” Hill, Frederick “Freddy P” Watson, and Lloyd “Ness” Mathis walk to Junior’s and get him a piece of cheesecake. They could not take a car, a taxi, or any form of public transportation, and they had to walk a little over five miles in the middle of the night for the snack run.It was a ridiculous moment that Diddy qualified by saying: “It’s not about me trying to do a mean-spirited initiation hazing act. There’s a bigger picture to it. In the world of music, I have to get up every day and do a bunch of sh*t I don’t wanna do.” And, while that may be true regarding some things, music artists certainly aren’t forced to walk over five miles to get their producer food.The group was ultimately disbanded in the finale despite all the terrible things Diddyput them through in the name of fame.The cheesecake was one of many random challenges Diddy put his hopeful stars through.InMaking the Band 4,Diddy required the young men in his R&B group to do a “sing-off” that was, frankly, uncomfortable for the singersand the viewers.
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InMaking the Band 3,Diddy created a multicultural girl group,Danity Kane.In 2018, Danity Kane members Aubrey O’Day, Shannon Bex, and Dawn Richardinterviewed with the Huffington Post,sharing reflections on their time working with Diddy on the showDawn said: “It gave him an excuse. It was to let you know, ‘This is my show, this is my sh-t, and I want to prove to you that it’s my sh-t, and I’m going to show you how much power I have over you by saying I’m going to control your lives.’ It’s so much bigger than that, even though, you’re right, it was extremely sexist.”Aubrey O’Day and Diddy butt heads often, with her behavior being portrayed as bratty and diva-ish. She was unceremoniously fired by Diddy on the show due to her “rebellious” behavior. In the interview, she shared that she felt that Diddy did not like being challenged, especially by women. Aubrey said, “Puff plays one of the dirtiest games there is around, and that’s what we were exposed to at 17 years old.”
Former Da Band members have also shared stories nearly two decades after the series.Freddy P came out in 2022, sharing the trauma that experienced during and after the show. He shared that he believes that the show was set up so that the artists would fail. After airing his grievances,another former member of Da Band, Babs Bunny, came out and shared her perspective.She took a more political approach, neither confirming nor denying the sentiments shared by Freddy P. When asked if her experience was a dream or a nightmare, Babs shared with MRECKTV: “I would definitely not say it was my worst nightmare. I could say it was a dream come true, it was dreams coming true with nightmares in and out. … For me, that was my experience. I was a sponge. And no matter with all the negative things over the years, I just tried to focus on all of the positive things that I learned.”
When Diddyannounced in 2020 that he’d be revivingMaking the Bandalongside his sons, people were not shyin voicing their opposition to the revival. Diddy could have responded in a mature way, but instead, he took to his Instagram stories and shared a post that said, “STOP ALL YOUR CRYING, BITING & MOANING. HUSTLE HARDER OR GET THE FK OUT OF OUR WAY.”Making the Bandhas yet to be revived, despite the announcements. Given the current controversy shrouding the famed music producer, it’s unlikely that it will ever come back.
No episodes are currently available on any streaming service, despite airing on MTV. But some episodes and clips are available for viewing on YouTube.
