Combs heads an entertainment empire that includes his Bad Boy record label, the Sean John clothing line, two restaurants, a film development company and an advertising agency. But don't expect those businesses to be affected by Combs' legal troubles, say Russell Simmons, the first hip-hop impresario to create a business empire, and Andre Harrell, until recently president of Bad Boy. Simmons says Combs' problems with the law won't alienate the fans who buy his music and his clothes.
Young culture is about edge and energy.
He's a hero from the ghetto who has escaped. Harrell, who gave Combs his first job in the music industry, thinks Combs' businesses will get by even if he has to spend time in prison. He has several general managers, presidents and so forth, accountants and lawyers that make the business run. Both Simmons and Harrell say they believe Combs is innocent of the gun possession and bribery crimes he faces and will be acquitted. A jury in New York Supreme Court on Wednesday began deliberating the charges against Combs and two associates, which stem from a December 1999 shooting in a packed nightclub that left three people wounded.