By Patrick Rizzo
NEW YORK (Reuters) – By beating the rap in a gun U.S. possession and bribery trial, hip hop impresario Sean “Puffy” Combs cleared another hurdle in a tough life where his resilience has helped build a multimillion dollar music and
clothing empire.
On Friday, a New York jury cleared Grammy winner and entrepreneur Combs of four gun possession charges and one bribery charge stemming from a 1999 shooting in a New York nightclub that left three people wounded.
Combs, 31, who throws lavish parties in the Hamptons for
the rich and famous, could have received 15 years in prison, if convicted.
Instead, the music mogul, whose personal worth is estimated at $400 million, walked away free to continue running Bad Boy Records and the Sean John clothing line.
“I just want to thank God for just being there for me and protecting me, and all the people, all my fans, my staff, all the people in New York, everybody who prayed for me all over the world and sent me prayers and messages,” said an exultant Combs, his mother Janice beaming at his side, outside state Supreme Court after the verdict.
The charges stemmed from a Dec. 27, 1999 shooting in Club New York.
Prosecutors alleged Combs jostled another patron, sparking a dispute that prompted associate and protege Jamaal “Shyne” Barrow, 21, to open fire. Barrow was found guilty of assault and reckless endangerment.
Prosecutors said following the shooting that Combs and his entourage, including actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, fled in a vehicle that police stopped after a chase of several blocks.
Police found a gun in the car, and Combs was accused of trying to bribe his driver to claim ownership of the weapon.
MOTHER'S BOY
It was no accident that Combs had his mother, who sat through every minute of the seven-week long trial, was with him in his moment of triumph over the charges.
When Combs was three, his mother worked several jobs to make sure he received a good education and kept out of trouble after his father was shot dead in Central Park in 1973.
She moved the family out of Harlem, where Combs had watched the meteoric rise of rap music, and to the New York suburb of Mt. Vernon when he was 12.
He attended the private Roman Catholic high school of Mt.
St. Michael's Academy, and, according to rumor, received the nickname of “Puffy” from his football teammates for his habit of puffing out his chest to make himself look more formidable.
His mother may have taken the boy out of Harlem and the hip hop world, but she could not take the rap world out of the boy.
He attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., but
dropped out and gravitated to producing hip hop.
Combs started as an intern at Uptown Records and under the tutelage of owner Andre Harrell rose swiftly to finding and developing talent as an A&R man (Artist and Repertoire) for the label.
In 1991, Combs organized a charity celebrity basketball game at New York's City College. Nine people were killed in a stampede at the event and authorities blamed Combs' poor organization and failure to provide a security force.
He faced years of lawsuits from the incident.
Showing a trademark resilience, Combs bounced back and
founded Bad Boy Records, signing rap superstar Christopher Wallace, the Notorious B.I.G.
But Combs was dealt another blow when Wallace, his biggest selling entertainer, was killed in March 1997 during a highly publicized feud with a rival hip hop label, Death Row Records. Six months before, Death Row's top act, Tupac Shakur, was gunned down by unknown assailants.
The death of his long-time friend, B.I.G., ironically led to Combs's rise as a rapper. In 1997, he won a Grammy for “I'll be Missing You,” a touching ode to Wallace. His album “No Way Out,” also won a Grammy in 1997.
His fortunes lately have not been as bright.
Besides the trial, which threatened to tarnish the image he
projected as a prosperous businessman, his latest album “Forever” has not sold as well as “No Way Out.”
During the trial, he also broke up with his girlfriend Lopez.
And he's not out of the woods yet where the shooting is concerned.
Damages sought in various lawsuits against Combs stemming from the incident totaled more than $1 billion.
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