PLAYBOY: Let’s get into some of the criticisms. You’ve been attacked for being one of the few rappers who don’t write their own rhymes. Is that a fair accusation?
COMBS: My instrument and my tone represented Harlem—my swagger, my lazy flow. Nobody came in and told me how to do that. I was spoiled because my first rhyme was written by Biggie. People don’t know that Biggie was the one who pushed me to be an artist. I was afraid to do it, but he said, “The crowd goes crazy when you come out. I’m gonna write you some rhymes.” We did “It’s All About the Benjamins” and “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down.”
PLAYBOY: Other people continued to write rhymes for you, even after Biggie died.
COMBS: Nobody just sits down and writes lyrics for me. If it’s Jay-Z, he puts me to work. I give him information; I have to tell him which melodies I’m hearing. He’ll use me as a muse. My strength as a songwriter is having ideas and melodies, and I need somebody to put them together. If you have a relationship with some of the best writers in the game, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of that. I’m not trying to out-rap Jay-Z, you know what I’m saying? I don’t even see us in the same weight division. Him, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake—they’re in the heavyweight division; they’re in contention for the belt. Jay doesn’t dictate what I do or don’t do.
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