During a recent episode of the R&B Money podcast, Top Dawg Entertainment co-founder Punch shared an intriguing story from a past VMAs after-party, though he deliberately left out the names of those involved. However, his account seems to align with the long-rumored altercation between Diddy and J. Cole at a 2013 event, sparked by Kendrick Lamar’s controversial “Control” verse.
In the podcast, Punch recalls being at a New York club when two men began arguing over a popular song. Many speculate that these men were J. Cole and Diddy. According to Punch, the VIP section was packed with high-profile figures, likening it to “the front row of the Grammys.”
The argument reportedly took a dangerous turn when one of the men threatened to cut the other’s throat with a bottle if disrespected again. In response, the person being threatened threw a punch, triggering what Punch described as a “huge scuffle.”
Rumors suggest that Diddy made the bottle threat, while J. Cole threw the first punch. As the fight escalated, Punch mentioned that a man who was friends with one of the celebrity bystanders intervened and started beating up J. Cole. This person is rumored to be Emory Jones, a close friend of Jay-Z.
According to Punch’s recollection, Jones eventually realized he was mistakenly attacking Cole, who was signed to Roc Nation at the time. Jones reportedly felt remorseful when he discovered who he was fighting, claiming he hadn’t been wearing his glasses during the chaos.
While the incident Punch described bears striking similarities to the Diddy-J. Cole altercation, neither party has ever fully confirmed the details, leaving much of the story to speculation. Punch emphasized that the event was packed with celebrities, estimating that 70% of the attendees were well-known figures.
In 2019, popular YouTuber content creator Traplore Ross released a documentary on claims behind Diddy and J. Cole’s altercation, titled “Why Diddy Slapped J. Cole.” The doc follows claims leading up to the altercation and all parties’ comments.