Diddy Given the Key to the City in New York

This past week has been one of the most fruitful and eventful of Diddy’s entire career. After earning the prestigious Global Icon award at Tuesday’s MTV Video Music Awards, and releasing his first solo album in 17 years on Friday (Sept. 15), the New York icon received one of the highest honors possible from his hometown.

On September 15, Diddy took a trip to Times Square to connect with New York City Mayor, Eric Adams. There, he was handed the key to the city by Adams, making for a splendid cherry on top of a legendary four-day stint for the emcee.

“The bad boy of entertainment is getting the key to the city from the bad boy of politics,” Mayor Adams said of the Bad Boy Records founder at the ceremony.

Once given the massive key stuck onto an elegant wooden plaque, Diddy rode through the city in a motorcade hanging out the window in excitement. “New York, we fuckin’ did it!” he yelled to the world. “Harlem, we did it! Mt. Vernon, we did it! The Bronx, we fuckin’ did it! Let’s go!”

As noted earlier, Diddy earned the VMA Global Icon Award, which recognized him for his contributions to hip-hop and music culture. During his speech, which came after a lengthy, career-spanning performance, Diddy praised every man and woman in his life, thanking them for aiding his multi-decade run as a musician and mogul.

“When we came in the game, we came in as bosses, came in as kings, we came in as queens, and that’s what’s up,” he told the crowd in Newark, New Jersey. “This is to 30 years! I pray to God you get to do something that you love for 30 years consistently. It’s truly a gift from God, but you can’t do it alone.”

[RELATED: Diddy Gives Publishing Rights Back to Label Signees—Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and More]

Additionally, the night before he accepted the key to NYC, Diddy dropped The Love Album: Off the Grid, a return to music that many did not think he’d make. Focusing on an R&B-leaning sound, the album contains stunning guest appearances from superstar singers like The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, H.E.R., Summer Walker, Babyface, John Legend, and more.

“I have some of the best — and my favorite — voices in R&B telling my love story,” he told Billboard in a cover story on Wednesday (September 13). “What I’m bringing back to the game is that Puffy sound, not following any trends or algorithms. I’m not knocking anything that’s out there, but a lot of things are just so toxic.”

Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images