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Kanye West honors Sean Combs and jokes about Kim Kardashian during the 2022 BET Awards© GettyImages

Kanye West honors Sean Combs and jokes about Kim Kardashian during the 2022 BET Awards

During the tribute, Kanye, explained how Combs had influenced him in every aspect of his life —including marriage


Shirley Gomez
Senior Writer
JUNE 27, 2022 11:34 AM EDT

Kanye West showed up at the 2022 BET Awards covered head to toe to honor his favorite artist Sean “Diddy” Combs. During the ceremony, the songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur, also known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, or Puffy, received a lifetime achievement award, presented by West and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

“How do we crown our kings?” West asked the crowd. “How do we appreciate our kings?” During the tribute, Kanye, who now goes by the name Ye, explained how Combs had influenced him in every aspect of his life —including marriage.

BET Awards 2022   Show© GettyImages
Babyface and Kanye West onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

“I took a little hiatus. I said, ‘I just want to declare myself legally dead for a year. Nobody missing me. I just want to be off the grid,’” he confessed. “If Puff ever needs us, we need to jump and be there. This man has been through and survived a lot of stuff, broke down a lot of doors so we could be standing — I know for me that I could be here today.”

“This is my favorite artist. You see what I’m saying? Favorite artist,” West assured. “Everything. Not specifically production. The drip. You know, back then, it was so many rules to hip hop. He broke all of them. Broke down all the doors.”

According to West, after breaking into the music industry, he was honored to be called the Chicago version of Combs. The “Donda” rapper even said that he married his now ex-wife Kim Kardashian because of Combs’s influence.

2022 BET Awards   Show© GettyImages
(L R) Babyface, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, and Kanye West onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

“I go to [Combs] for advice to this day. He inspires so many of my choices, so many of my life choices. My wife choices,” West quipped. “And, here we are. Thanks for that, Puff.”

Listen to the entire speech below

Kanye West Pays Tribute To Diddy During A Surprise Appearance At BET Awards | BET Awards '22