Because, apparently, incarcerated people are allowed to have podcasts, Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight was allowed to jump into the mess for the Year of Truth.
On Knight’s latest episode of his “Collect Call” podcast – which is literally him speaking on a collect call from prison, operator interruptions and all – he drones on about the seedy underbelly of the music industry…specifically the sexual proclivities of some of its most powerful men.
Knight kicked things off by accusing Motown Records founder Berry Gordy of having a “secret life” sleeping with men while married. He suggested that between Gordy and legendary producer Quincy Jones’ affinity for whiteness, Michael Jackson was destined to have bleached skin and a generally inconclusive sexuality.
He then very casually made the bombshell accusation that Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons and the late Uptown Records founder Andre Harrell were in a sexual relationship.
“Everybody knew…they might not wanna say it, but they was lovers,” Knight said. “They participated in those types of things. Once again, a person have the right to be whatever they wanna be, but own it.”
“These men in the industry don’t consider theyself gay. They consider theyselves messing with women and they don’t really like women because they beat the shit out of them.”
Knight also suggested that Harrell “started the journey” of Diddy, who began his career interning for Harrell and as a talent director for Uptown Records. “Journey” is Knight’s unsubtle way of suggesting same-sex relations.
“According to R. Kelly, they were touching on him, f***ng in him…that started his journey,” Knight said. “Puffy started some journeys. It’s not really good to name call… so we don’t get sued, we gotta use the word ‘allegedly.’”
As Knight suggests that Diddy and Usher had their own intimate relationship, the episode is interrupted by an old interview with Diddy, Usher and Kevin Hart in which Diddy discusses how Usher would “wake up early…pause” during their days of working on music in the same house.
“Men after men, boy after boy they go through this,” Knight said of the industry heavy hitters. “There’s no punishment because they’re protected by the robe, the judge, the DA, the people in the industry, because they work for them, they’re their slaves.”
Knight said that there’s a well-known rumor that former record executive Chris Stokes slept with all the “boys” and had a wife who knew it. Stokes’ label, the Ultimate Group, had a roster that included B2K, Omarion and IMx.
Keeping things (slightly) lighter near the episode’s end, Knight also suggested that Snoop Dogg is being used by white people in his executive role at Def Jam. Snoop responded in an Instagram comment on Vlad TV’s account, “Smh I’m praying for that brother that he find peace,” to which Knight replied via X with more messiness.
Knight is currently serving a 28-year sentence for running over and killing a man with his car and is eligible for parole in 2034. He’s a man with a lot of time on his hands, so the grains of salt with which to take his claims is yours to decide.