Suge Knight has been making the media rounds while Diddy’s trial unfolds.
The former Death Row Records CEO spoke with CNN’s Laura Coates during a call from prison, where he shared his belief that Diddy should take the stand to “humanize” himself.
“I feel if he do tell his truth, he really would walk,” Knight told Coates. “If Puffy goes up there and says, ‘Hey … I did all the drugs, I wasn’t in control of my life at the time, or myself’—he can humanize his old self and the jury might give him a shot.”
“But if they keep him sitting down, it’s like he’s scared to face the music,” Suge continued. “He should just have his faith in God, put up his pants, and go up there and tell his truth.”
It remains unknown whether Diddy will testify on his own behalf. The fallen music executive has entered a not guilty plea to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He could spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty.
The history between these two music industry figures goes back to the 1990s, when their competing record labels were central to the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop rivalry. Their conflict eventually escalated with the murders of Knight’s Death Row artist, 2Pac in 1996, and Diddy’s Bad Boy artist, The Notorious B.I.G. in 1997.
Suge is currently doing time on a 28-year sentence for a deadly hit-and-run incident in 2015. However, that hasn’t prevented the 60-year-old from speaking out publicly about Diddy’s legal situation.
Earlier this week, during an appearance on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation program, Knight expressed his belief that Diddy’s case will result in an acquittal.
“I say this all the time, Puffy and I are not friends,” Knight explained to Cuomo about his former rival. “But Puffy should definitely walk.”
