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Fame and talent can only take you so far. Join us as we count down the musicians who, through scandal, controversy, and outright criminal behavior, managed to do serious damage to their own legacies. Our list includes pop icons, rock legends, and rap superstars who went from celebrated artists to cautionary tales. Which musician do you think caused the most damage to their reputation?
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MusicTranscript
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 30 musicians who, through their own actions,
00:08managed to do irreversible harm to their public reputation.
00:11I've served my time.
00:15Adam Levine
00:16Over the last two decades, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has enjoyed the type of consistent
00:21success that most budding songwriters would kill for.
00:24And let's talk on me, she said goodbye too many times before.
00:31Through his music and his growing reputation as a TV personality, Levine has been an A-list
00:36presence for quite some time now.
00:38However, his stock took a pretty meaningful hit when allegations emerged of him sending
00:42inappropriate messages to women while married.
00:45The specific nature of these messages ended up earning Levine quite a lot of mockery to
00:49go along with the obvious criticism.
00:51They read in part, quote,
00:53It is truly unreal how f—ing hot you are.
00:56Like, it blows my mind.
00:58You are 50 times hotter in person, and so am I.
01:02Levine admitted that he crossed some lines by flirting with other women, but denied any
01:06physical follow-up.
01:07Needless to say, people weren't convinced by his half-apology.
01:11And I have no choice, cause I won't say goodbye anymore.
01:17Jennifer Lopez
01:19Nothing can earn you the scorn of the masses quite like not crediting vocalists who end
01:24up doing some major heavy lifting on your songs.
01:31Jennifer Lopez was accused of using backing vocalists and even some big names like Ashanti,
01:37Christina Milian, and Natasha Ramos to sing the hooks on her studio tracks.
01:46Claims were made that J.Lo was relying heavily on other singers due to her own shortcomings
01:51in the vocal booth.
01:52The question of authenticity of her output left many fans with real trust issues when
01:56it came to her subsequent releases.
01:58No one's saying she needs to be Aretha Franklin, but a lack of transparency over the most basic
02:03things has been quite damaging.
02:11Lizzo
02:11Although critically and commercially adored during her rise, it seemed like Lizzo could barely
02:17put a foot wrong during her early years of public exposure.
02:27Unfortunately, all was not quite what it seemed.
02:31In 2023, a trio of former backing dancers filed a lawsuit against Lizzo and her team, accusing
02:38them of a wide range of workplace issues.
02:40These ranged from sexual, religious, and racial harassment to disability discrimination, assault,
02:46false imprisonment, creating a hostile work environment, and weight-shaming.
02:51I know it's alarming to hear that Lizzo, a plus-sized woman who preaches body positivity,
02:57would be fatphobic, essentially.
03:01But I want to challenge people to understand that, you know, hurt people hurt people.
03:08All in all, the controversy has introduced some well-deserved skepticism around her brand
03:13and messaging, which had previously been central to her appeal.
03:17No matter what happens next, this will be a hard one to fully shake off for Lizzo.
03:22Nicki Minaj
03:26Although she was always a brash and outspoken character, many of Nicki Minaj's biggest fans
03:31have jumped ship due to her increasingly aggressive and outlandish behavior.
03:36I said, excuse me, you're a hell of a guy.
03:38I mean, ma-ma-ma-ma, you're like pelican fly.
03:40I mean, you're so shy and I'm lovin' you tired.
03:42When the public feud gets pettier, that's one thing.
03:45When the quality of music drops off, that's another.
03:48However, Minaj's pivot into full-on support of right-wing political figures such as Donald
03:53Trump has alienated a large portion of her audience.
03:56I am probably the president's number one fan, and that's not going to change.
04:07She has also been a major defender of her husband, Kenneth Petty, who is a registered sex offender,
04:13another decision that has not earned her any praise.
04:16Minaj was once on top of the world, and now it seems like she has gone down a very different
04:22path.
04:31The Red Hot Chili Peppers burst onto the scene in the 1980s as the fun-loving Party Boys,
04:36who performed with their socks on their… well, you know the rest.
04:40If you see me getting high, if you see me getting high, drop me down.
04:45Over the years, they evolved into an arena rock staple, bringing us some of the biggest anthems
04:50of the last 30 years.
04:52Dream of Californication.
04:56As time has gone on, though, the world has changed.
04:59People have started to look at the behavior of lead singer Anthony Kiedis through a different lens.
05:03In his autobiography, Scar Tissue, he makes some claims about his relationships with underage girls
05:09that have earned him some major criticism.
05:11When you factor in his tendency to date women well over half his age, despite him being in his 60s,
05:17it's easy to understand why.
05:24Drake
05:24If the song of the summer accuses you of heinous acts and otherwise insults you and your character,
05:31it's safe to say that your reputation has taken a hit.
05:34Watching Drake's rise was genuinely thrilling, as his best work demonstrated both his ear for
05:40great hooks and his ability to navigate complex topics.
05:43When you're ready, just say you're ready.
05:45When all the baggage just ain't as heavy.
05:47But quantity soon overtook quality, and his heart-sick musical persona started to feel
05:54less endearing and more grady.
05:56How can you say you know what I'm feeling?
06:00Know what I'm feeling?
06:02You don't feel nothing.
06:04In 2024, a feud between the rapper and Kendrick Lamar broke out.
06:08And in case you somehow haven't heard, Drake did not win.
06:12The audience not dumb.
06:14Shape the stories how you want.
06:15Hey Drake, they're not slow.
06:16While Drake has fallen out of favor commercially, it's hard to imagine him garnering the respect
06:21he did in the era of Take Care and Nothing Was The Same.
06:25Is that your bestie?
06:26I'm a Ice Bowl for y'all, like, bestie.
06:29I'm an actual, like, bless me.
06:31Katy Perry
06:32I think I'm pretty without any makeup on.
06:36Katy Perry's music may have never been highbrow, but at her peak, she made songs so catchy
06:42you could hear them once and they'd be stuck in your head forever.
06:45You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream.
06:51Over time, though, the music got worse, as did her public image.
06:56Excitement about a comeback in 2024 was quickly deflated when it was revealed she was reteaming
07:02with controversial producer Dr. Luke.
07:05Then, new single Woman's World had everyone talking and not about how much they loved it.
07:10It's a woman's world and you're lucky to be living in it.
07:14After her album flopped, Perry made news for her mystifying live choreography and her participation
07:21in Blue Origin's all-female spaceflight, which spawned backlash over being tone deaf.
07:26The days of Katy Perry as an artist we adore are feeling more and more like a teenage dream.
07:33Global pop superstar Katy Perry is tonight at the center of a police investigation
07:38over bombshell claims of sexual abuse inside a Melbourne nightclub.
07:44Ted Nugent
07:45There isn't an ounce of apology in Ted Nugent for being the way he is.
07:54His tendency to make inflammatory statements about a range of issues is just about as well-known
08:00as his music these days.
08:01Ted Nugent
08:02Welfare, for example.
08:03Welfare isn't just about helping the needy anymore.
08:06Welfare is now about rewarding people who take advantage of the corruption and abuse
08:10of that condition.
08:11From calling Barack Obama a subhuman mongrel to writing songs about illicit activities
08:16with teenage girls, it's not hard to see how Nugent remains a controversial figure.
08:21Overall, his confrontational media presence has alienated portions of his audience, shifting
08:26focus away from his more meaningful musical contributions.
08:30He is a respected and talented musician at his core, but most people just can't stomach
08:35him.
08:42Trey Songz
08:43When you market yourself as a singer who delivers music about love, passion, and flirtation — as
08:49Trey Songz did — that entire image will not survive if the allegations start piling up.
08:59Trey Songz
09:00For him, a series of high-profile legal problems ended up derailing the momentum he built in
09:05the 2010s.
09:06Several women came forth with claims of his predatory behavior, which, when coupled with
09:11several other instances of public aggression, left people with a new perspective on the singer.
09:16Trey Songz
09:17I don't even know what's happened in any of these things, but it's been so many that,
09:20you know, you wouldn't touch the guy with a ten-foot pole.
09:22These all contrasted sharply with his earlier image as a mainstream R&B star known for his
09:27romantic themes and super-polished and slick presentation.
09:37Gene Simmons
09:38It's hard to pinpoint exactly when Gene Simmons started to be known as one of the most detested
09:44figures in rock music.
09:51However, as far as we can tell, he's always been a divisive character.
09:55These days, he is almost universally seen as the archetype for egotistical rock stars.
10:01His fabled conquests with women made him an almost mythical presence at first.
10:06But over the years, it led many to see him as a bit degenerate.
10:10While the people around me were getting high on drugs, I was guilty as charged of going after
10:18the pleasures of the flesh, absolutely.
10:20He has also faced sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied, but which nonetheless contributed
10:27to a negative public perception.
10:29Gene Simmons remains a prickly character within the world of celebrity, a relic from a bygone
10:35era.
10:35Take it up!
10:37Take it up!
10:38Take it up!
10:39Tekashi 6ix9ine
10:40Daniel Hernandez stands out from a generation of rappers who made their stage name on SoundCloud.
10:46Unfortunately, it's not so much because of Tekashi 6ix9ine's work with big names in the
10:52industry.
10:53In 2015, he pled guilty to criminally sexualizing a minor in a music video.
10:58Over the next two years, he would be implicated in or admit to a number of violent offenses.
11:03Despite asking for time served, the judge cited a list of crimes linking Hernandez, which
11:08he said wreaked havoc across the city.
11:10He also softened racketeering and firearm convictions in 2018 by ratting on gang associates.
11:17After many assumed he would be free this week, Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been sentenced
11:21to 24 months in prison and a subsequent five years of supervised release.
11:25Hernandez left prison two years later, but was labeled a snitch in his community and an
11:30overall scumbag in the mainstream.
11:32He dug himself even deeper with several high-profile feuds.
11:35Don't tell me what I chose to do in my life, because if I did what people say, oh, you
11:44should've
11:44did, you guys move on with your life.
11:46Otherwise, 6ix9ine's music is as low-profile as ever.
11:51Rolf Harris.
11:52The once acclaimed television personality and singer Rolf Harris fell just about as far as
11:58a performer can fall when his depraved crimes came to light in 2014.
12:07A conviction for multiple counts of assault against minors left this family-friendly entertainer
12:12with the type of label that was reserved for the likes of Jimmy Savile.
12:16Turns out, the two were friends.
12:18I mean, we go back a long time.
12:20What was it, several weeks ago, wasn't it, when we first met?
12:22Harris's own exposure as a predator came to light after Savile's own monstrous deeds
12:27were made public after his death.
12:29He was convicted in 2014 on 12 counts of indecent assault on four female victims.
12:35Following his release, he died of neck cancer at 93 years old.
12:40Remembered as once a TV presenter, always a prolific abuser.
12:44Chris Wu.
12:45Chinese-Canadian rapper and singer Chris Wu first found success as a member of the boy
12:50band EXO before embarking on a solo career.
12:54You say you want freedom, you ain't gonna leave Sean, you ain't coming home, oh wow.
12:58Both a music and movie star in China, Wu seemed poised to be recognized around the world.
13:03In a way, that happened, but not for good reasons.
13:07In 2021, Wu was arrested on sexual assault charges and was convicted and sentenced to 13 years
13:14in prison.
13:15Upon his eventual release, he is set to be deported from China.
13:19Like so many others on this list, it seems Wu used his fame and power to take advantage
13:25of others.
13:26I got your band like all state, yeah, we'll take it back to the old way, yeah.
13:31Tim Lambesis
13:32Tim Lambesis found fame as the frontman of metalcore band As I Lay Dying.
13:42But no amount of vocal prowess or stage presence could undo hearing about the news that broke
13:48in 2013.
13:50Lambesis was arrested for trying to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife.
13:54He was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison.
13:58Prosecutors say this was a cold-blooded plan that Tim Lambesis fully intended to follow
14:03through on.
14:04He was released in 2016 and has since revived As I Lay Dying, though he's now the only remaining
14:11member.
14:17He's also remarried and divorced multiple times, with videos of him being abusive towards his
14:23third wife, Danielle Norris, leaked online.
14:26What's more?
14:27After this, a video leaked of Lambesis mistreating a dog, sparking a petition to have him investigated
14:33for animal cruelty.
14:40DaBaby
14:41Some artists have their images ruined because of things they said in private that were later
14:46leaked.
14:46DaBaby, meanwhile, sabotaged his career in a very public fashion.
14:51Don't make me go hit the bank and take out a hundred to show you our pockets is different.
14:54Ah!
14:55At the 2021 Rolling Loud Festival in Florida, the rapper made remarks that were wildly condemned
15:00for being homophobic.
15:02The rapper is still standing by his statements, and their statements leaders in the LGBTQ community
15:07are labeling as misinformation.
15:10Performances at numerous festivals were subsequently canceled, and numerous other artists condemned
15:15his comments.
15:16Multiple apologies weren't enough to turn the tide back in his favor, nor was the music
15:22released afterward.
15:23If ever there was a perfect example of someone needing to think twice before speaking, it's
15:29DaBaby.
15:30Come say something.
15:30Robin Thicke
15:31If you only know Robin Thicke from Blurred Lines, it may genuinely shock you to learn there
15:37was a time when he was genuinely respected as a musical talent.
15:41Lost without you, can't help myself
15:46While he might not have been a household name, he had carved out a solid niche for himself
15:52in R&B.
15:52While his Big Pop crossover was certainly successful, it also spawned much criticism for its questionable
15:59lyrics and crass video.
16:01And I ain't wanna tell a good girl
16:04Thicke's appearance at the 2013 VMAs didn't help, nor did the release of Paula, an album
16:11written for and about his estranged wife Paula Patton, that flopped spectacularly upon release.
16:17I gotta get a go, get a go, get a go, get a back
16:21During their subsequent divorce proceedings, Patton accused Thicke of domestic violence, infidelity,
16:27and abuse against a minor, Chuck Berry.
16:34There's arguably no artist on this list who has changed music, as we know it, quite like Chuck Berry has.
16:40So, while Berry's legacy as a musical pioneer is secure, it's significantly complicated by his personal life.
16:48Flying on the beat, set on flight control, radio tuned to rock and roll.
16:55Amidst his initial stardom, Berry was arrested and charged with violating the Mann Act.
17:00He was sentenced to five years in prison.
17:03Other controversies followed his release, including being charged with physical assault of a woman
17:08and being sued by multiple women regarding a camera in his restaurant's bathroom.
17:13While Berry kept performing even in the years leading up to his death in 2017,
17:17his image was still decidedly tarnished by these revelations.
17:23Now you can't get me.
17:25No baby, you can't get me.
17:29Morrissey.
17:29As frontman of the Smiths and throughout his solo career, Morrissey was renowned for his sensitive,
17:36witty lyrics and achingly beautiful voice.
17:39I would go out tonight, but I haven't got this dish to wear.
17:45Over time, however, he became better known for the words he's spoken than the ones he's sung.
17:51These include insensitive comments on topics such as race, immigration, and sexual assault.
17:57While he's long had a reputation as being outspoken, for many, he's since veered into indefensible
18:04territory.
18:05He also expressed his support for the far-right For Britain movement.
18:08While this doesn't completely undo the quality of his best work, it does make it more difficult
18:15to want to revisit them.
18:16Take them out to some rights again.
18:18I've got no right to take my place through the human race.
18:22Chris Brown.
18:23Having your debut single be a number one hit is no small feat.
18:27If he ain't, then let me know.
18:32After the success of Run It and further radio hits, Brown's reputation was forever altered
18:38in 2009, when he was arrested for domestic violence against his girlfriend at the time,
18:43Rihanna.
18:43The minute the physical wounds go away, you want this thing to go away.
18:49This is a memory you don't want to have ever again.
18:52More legal troubles and controversies followed over the years.
18:55In May 2025, he was arrested in Manchester on a warrant regarding an alleged 2023 assault incident
19:03at a nightclub.
19:04Though he's been able to maintain a successful recording and performing career despite all
19:08these scandals, Brown's bad behavior has eclipsed his music considerably.
19:13I need to, I need to tell something.
19:16Jerry Lee Lewis.
19:18Jerry Lee Lewis always caused commotion as an early rock and roll rebel.
19:23Incidentally, the wild child went too far by settling down with Myra Gale Brown in 1957.
19:29After four triumphant concerts, Lewis inadvertently referred to Myra's age at a press conference.
19:34All hell broke loose.
19:36The 22-year-old Lewis publicly lied about his third wife's real age, who was a teenager.
19:42She was also his first cousin, once removed.
19:46Just like that, Lewis publicly went from bad boy to total creep.
19:50The subsequent concert cancellations and boycotts devastated his popular appeal.
19:55I had no airplay on the radio.
19:57I couldn't see anything I did wrong.
19:59And Jerry's records were pulled from the stations.
20:03He was blacklisted.
20:05He could not do a TV show.
20:07He was bad news.
20:09No one would touch him.
20:10He remained an active musician for the rest of his life, whose influential work is still
20:15celebrated.
20:16The man himself would never recover from his union with Brown, or its disillusion on the
20:21grounds of infidelity and abuse.
20:23This wasn't Lewis' last scandalous marriage.
20:26Jerry Lee Lewis' talent was never in doubt.
20:30But his personal life will forever raise questions about his legacy.
20:36Ryan Adams
20:37Prolific singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has enjoyed great acclaim and clout in the music industry.
20:43Many fellow musicians counted on him in their own careers.
20:46In 2019, seven women told the New York Times that this came with strings attached.
20:52They claimed that Adams used promises of professional support to sexually and romantically coerce them.
20:58If they resisted, he would use social media to sully their public image.
21:03Adams initially denied these allegations, but later took full responsibility for his history
21:07of abuse.
21:09Many didn't buy his formulaic apology and promise of growth.
21:12I find it curious that someone would make a public apology, but not do it privately.
21:19I am speaking for myself, but I have not heard from him and I'm not looking for an apology
21:24necessarily, but I do find it curious that someone would sort of do an interview about
21:29it without actually making amends privately.
21:31Some say the material he's produced since has suffered from a tone deaf tone of self pity.
21:45Whether Ryan is truly remorseful, that music industry clout has dried up.
21:50You had a lot of A-list friends that stayed quiet when all this happened.
21:54Did this sort of teach you who your real friends are?
21:57Oh man, I got friends the whole alphabet.
21:59Yeah.
21:59Sounds good.
22:00Ike Turner.
22:01In the early days of rock and roll, Ike Turner was a visionary.
22:05He took the blues and created his own Ike Turner sound.
22:10He really got his big break by helping his wife Tina get hers.
22:14The couple revolutionized pop music, but no longer share the same esteem.
22:18After filing for divorce in 1976, Tina revealed that her marriage was plagued with physical
22:24and psychological abuse.
22:25Ike's public image, as well as his finances, were further tarnished by substance use and
22:31legal issues.
22:32All of this was cemented in pop culture by the biopic What's Love Got To Do With It?
22:37What?
22:39I ain't here.
22:40What'd you say?
22:40The Turners both stated that the film embellished their dysfunctional relationship.
22:45Still, while Tina is immortalized as the queen of rock and roll, the Queen Maker's legacy
22:49is overshadowed by cruelty.
22:51After the movie came out, people were like, sorry, we're not gonna help.
22:56Phil Spector
22:57The music that Phil Spector has had a hand in creating is still played and enjoyed by many,
23:02to this day.
23:03No one to please, be my, be my baby, be my one.
23:10However, it is impossible to overlook the shadow that was cast over his legacy in 2009,
23:15when he was convicted for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson.
23:19Known as an erratic and reclusive character in the years that followed the 1970s, Spector
23:24shot back into our consciousness in the 2000s for the worst possible reason.
23:29Something happened, a woman died at your dad's house, and it's all over the news.
23:34We need to get you out right now.
23:35To some, his work with artists like The Beatles, Ike and Tina Turner, and Leonard Cohen retains
23:41its impact.
23:42For others, it's impossible to separate the murderer from the art he once created.
23:47He passed away in prison in 2021 at the age of 81.
23:51You have to conquer yourself, you know, you have to really control your own self.
23:58CeeLo Green
23:59In both hip-hop groups and solo soul, CeeLo Green was a titan of his industry.
24:05My life feels purposed, and my music feels intentful, and I feel empowered because of it.
24:11His reputation first started to bend in the early 2010s over hostile responses to critics
24:16online.
24:17It broke after he was accused of sexual battery and charged with assaulting an intoxicated
24:22woman.
24:22Green maintained his innocence by posting that victims remember the experience.
24:27He is a very popular celebrity in Los Angeles.
24:30The prosecutor has to consider that because the jury is going to like CeeLo Green.
24:35He made so many disturbingly ignorant comments that his account was temporarily shut down.
24:40A lackluster apology was insufficient to save one of music's most prolific stars.
24:45The scandal cost him gigs and nearly destroyed his career on the screen.
24:50Record sales have also suffered.
24:51CeeLo manages to stay busy, but now largely outside of public view.
24:57The accusation was so untimely and unfortunate.
25:00Ian Watkins
25:01Fans were devastated when the Welsh rockers' lost profits broke up in 2013.
25:07The reason why was the most devastating part.
25:10The previous year, lead singer Ian Watkins was arrested for possession of drugs and highly
25:15obscene materials.
25:16Because he shows no emotion.
25:18He shows no sympathy.
25:21He shows no guilt.
25:22And in this case, the evidence is overwhelming.
25:24He eventually pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual activity with minors.
25:28Watkins' abuses had been reported to police as early as 2008.
25:33The police watchdog, the IPCC, confirmed they'd now identified as many as five forces
25:38who since 2009 had passed on information about Watkins to South Wales police.
25:44The horrific scandal has even besmirched his bandmates' legacies.
25:48Lost profits' music and merchandise have been basically blacklisted from the public.
25:53In the wake of their split, its past members have found success with the band No Devotion
25:58and other beloved projects.
26:00Watkins, meanwhile, was serving a 29-year prison sentence before he was murdered by a pair of inmates in October
26:06of 2025.
26:07There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins has exploited his celebrity status.
26:13Marilyn Manson
26:14Industrial metal pioneer Brian Warner made a career out of shocking the public as Marilyn Manson.
26:20His subversive brand would gradually be hidden from the mainstream over several high-profile murders committed by fans.
26:27I think it's my job as an artist to be out there pushing people's buttons and making them question everything.
26:33He was a key subject and proponent of discourse following the Columbine High School massacre.
26:38I definitely can see why they would pick me because I think it's easy to throw my face on a
26:44TV because I'm, in the end,
26:48sort of a poster boy for fear because I represent what everyone's afraid of because I do and say what
26:55I want.
26:55In 2021, Manson finally lost his niche group of supporters.
27:00Multiple people, including ex-fiancee Evan Rachel Wood, alleged years of abuse and sexual assault.
27:07It's a cycle and it bleeds into so many problems in our country and our society that we are not
27:13even aware of.
27:14He's been embroiled in legal battles with his accusers, which have raised concerning testimony against all parties.
27:20While there was apparently disturbing evidence suggesting that Manson's horror isn't just for show and his defenders may since have
27:28dwindled,
27:29the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ultimately acquitted him following a criminal investigation in 2025.
27:36Gary Glitter
27:37I deeply regret doing what I was sent to prison for.
27:44Paul Gad helped broaden Glamrock's pop appeal with the flamboyant anthems and live performances of Gary Glitter.
27:51He'd still be an icon of the genre if it weren't for his shocking criminal history.
27:56In 1999, Gad was convicted of possessing obscene content and registered as a sex offender.
28:03His career died on the spot.
28:05Glitter served two months in prison, and upon his release, he claimed he was repentant.
28:10After prison, Gad tried starting anew outside of England, only to be deported and banned from several countries for continuing
28:17to fraternize.
28:18A conviction in Vietnam resulted in deportation to his homeland, where he was convicted of multiple sex crimes in 2015.
28:26Judge Alastair McQueeth told Glitter,
28:28I've read the impact statements of all three victims. It is clear in their different ways they were all profoundly
28:34affected.
28:35The Gary Glitter brand has now faded into obscurity, and all that's left is a criminal rejected by the whole
28:42world.
28:42Kanye West
28:43Even more astonishing than Kanye West's renown was his downfall. He first lost mainstream credibility with baffling statements throughout the
28:522000s. This included poorly phrasing racial concerns after Hurricane Katrina, and hijacking an award acceptance speech by Taylor Swift.
29:01Taylor, I'm really happy for you. I'm gonna let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of
29:08all time. One of the best videos of all time.
29:16West then polarized the black community by downplaying racism and aligning with right-wing politics through the 2010s.
29:24This culminated in a representation of white supremacist culture in the 2020s, especially anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
29:32That dealt a destructive blow to West's music career, business brand, and social media presence.
29:38Still, he always finds a platform for his outrageous views.
29:41I know they're gonna say whatever they want about me. When I bring up the truth, they're gonna say, you
29:48didn't get enough sleep. It's because of your health.
29:50Many link the rapper's antics to mental illness or mere attention-seeking.
29:55But as West continues to dig himself into scandal, he can't even count on public pity.
29:59There is a sense of sadness and tragedy when you think about individuals who have known him for so long.
30:05Diddy. He has been known by many names. Huff Daddy, P Diddy, and simply Diddy.
30:11But while the man-born Sean John Combs was once seen as an aspirational figure for his multi-layered success,
30:18he's now viewed as a total villain.
30:19That boy, that's what's up.
30:21Though Combs had faced legal troubles and accusations of unsavory behavior over the years, it was never enough for him
30:27to be truly canceled.
30:28But in 2023, Combs' ex, singer Cassie Ventura, sued him for abuse and other horrific acts.
30:36They shut the door and everything just started happening. And I saw the aftermath.
30:41This was followed by the release of surveillance footage of Combs brutally attacking Ventura.
30:47More lawsuits followed, with an increasingly large stack of evidence and accusations.
30:52In October of 2025, Combs was incarcerated at the federal correctional institution, Fort Dix, on a 50-month sentence.
30:59But they're also going to have to lay the foundation for this Rico charge and explain how he conspired with
31:05more than one person and how he was running Bad Boy Records as a corrupt organization.
31:18Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album, Balance.
31:22Classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
31:26Check out the full track and album below.
31:29Born in the sunlight, born in the rain, life is a rhythm running through veins.
31:42R. Kelly
31:43Do you like teenage girls? When you say teenage, how are we talking?
31:50The one-time king of R&B has gone from one of music's biggest stars to one of its worst
31:56pariahs.
31:57R. Kelly's glamorous image first cracked in 1994 when the 27-year-old briefly married underage singer Aaliyah.
32:04His indiscretions were further suggested throughout the 2000s by allegations and a hard-won legal battle.
32:11Robert feels as if he's invincible. I can't be touched. And in hindsight, in society, we kind of made him
32:18feel that way.
32:18The public was completely divided until the subsequent decades ended their debate.
32:24Accusations of sex cults and horrendous abuse led to widespread boycotts before the hit docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, killed public
32:32sympathy.
32:33I think R. Kelly is on everybody's permanently canceled list. All of this is wrong. R. Kelly has a sickness.
32:40Yes, I believe R. Kelly's a dirtbag scumbag and somebody should press charges and try to prosecute again. Press charges,
32:48let's go!
32:49This inspired a series of trials leading to convictions on racketeering, trafficking, and other crimes.
32:56Kelly began his 31-year prison sentence in 2023. Though there's no salvaging the musician's once-celebrated art, his victims
33:04have finally received justice.
33:06But which musician do you think managed to do the most damage to their reputation? Let us know in the
33:13comments below.
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