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Hey, JD, Watch What You Say When You Talk About P Diddy

Hey, JD, Watch What You Say When You Talk About P Diddy

Last updated on: June 30, 2026 at 3:37 pm by Alan Lechusza Aquallo

Hey, JD, Watch What You Say When You Talk About P Diddy 2026-06-30T15:37:05-07:00 Alan Lechusza Aquallo

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“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 NKJV).

An off-the-cuff comment by Vice President JD Vance at a promotional book event on June 25 made an unsuspecting remark about P Diddy (aka Sean Combs), calling him a “great Christian theologian.” The statement falls negatively for both secular and faith-based communities.

Photo | Vice President J. D. Vance at 2025 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona | courtesy of Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Creative Commons

Made to illustrate a level of “street cred” (read: credibility in the eyes of pop culture, specifically a Gen Z and Millennial generation), the statement places a convicted felon in alignment with Christian apostles.

“I’m a millennial, so I believe that’s the wisdom of the great Christian theologian P Diddy, who, as we found out in the last couple of years, is very much not a Christian or a theologian,” the vice president joked. “I’m going to get in trouble for all kinds of things. That will be one of them. That will be in an attack ad at some point in the future” (USA Today, June 25).

“Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,’ [is the latest book from Vice President JD Vance. A convert to Catholicism whose faith has been central to his adult life, Vance writes about his religious journey in a sort of manifesto for the role of religion in public life” (AP News, June 26).

For a secular audience, the statement can be read as a qualification of Catholic superiority and as a means of questioning the power of the First Amendment’s inclusion of the separation of church and state.

“The phrase ‘separation of church and state’ appears nowhere in the United States Constitution. The principle behind it, though, is grounded in real constitutional text: the First Amendment’s two religion clauses, which prevent the government from establishing an official religion and from interfering with religious practice. The phrase itself comes from an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, and the Supreme Court later adopted it as a guiding metaphor for interpreting those clauses. Over more than two centuries, courts have shaped that metaphor into a body of law that governs everything from prayer in public schools to tax exemptions for houses of worship” (Legal Clarity, April 1, 2026).

For faith-based audiences, the statement can be read as the government’s support of convicted criminals, a misuse of biblical context aligned with placing one religion, Catholicism, as an overarching theology for the country and faith-based communities.

The attempted “street cred” voiced from the vice president did accomplish the “trouble for all kinds of things” he recognized while making such a socio-religious error.

The vice president’s immediate walking back of the comment falls short of the initial statement. Recall that P Diddy (aka Sean Combs) is serving 50 months in prison for multiple felonies, with the potential of others to come. In addition, P Diddy/Sean Combs was unsuccessful in getting a pardon from the president.

“Combs has been outspoken about his faith and brought a Bible to the federal courthouse throughout his two-month criminal trial in New York City last year. Combs has been incarcerated since his September 2024 arrest and is serving a 50-month prison sentence for his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution…President Donald Trump previously said Combs has reached out to his administration, with the Bad Boy Records founder seeking a pardon from Trump. The president has indicated he will not grant a pardon. Combs, who has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, is still facing upwards of 70 civil lawsuits across the country. He is scheduled to be released from New Jersey’s FCI Fort Dix in February 2028” (USA Today, June 25).

If we attempt to read the comment from the vice president, only a tangential connection can be made.

“[Sean] Combs has been outspoken about his faith and brought a Bible to the federal courthouse throughout his two-month criminal trial in New York City last year. Combs has been incarcerated since his September 2024 arrest and is serving a 50-month prison sentence for his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution” (USA Today, June 25).

There is not enough in this representation to qualify Sean Combs as worthy of the title gestured by Vice President JD Vance.

For the vice president to make such a comment while promoting his new book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” which is more of a personal testimony, oversteps both a socio-religious and socio-political line. Yet, biblical knowledge teaches that forgiveness is central to moving forward. How, then, can this statement by the vice president be forgiven theomusicologically?

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NKJV).

Free And Forgiven

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12 NLT).

In an attempt to reconcile and forgive the vice president for the unexpected comment, making a theomusicological analysis of the distance between East and West, there might be a way to grant the forgiveness through an applied scriptural reading. For each coast, the East Coast and the West Coast, one is reminded of the historic Hip Hop battle between these areas and the key actor at the center of the disagreement, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac. The challenge, then, is to see how each artist provides the opportunity for a theomusicological analysis and potential apology for the vice president’s comment.

Photo | Notorious B.I.G. cassette | courtesy of Blowelife, Wikimedia Creative Commons

East Coast: The Notorious B.I.G.

Vice President JD Vance noted a chapter in his book borrowing the title of the track “Mo Money Mo Problems” from the Notorious B.I.G., a track which brought many to know the work of the Notorious B.I.G. posthumously. One question to pose is why this title is important and what it says about greed, pride, gluttony, and coveting.

The Notorious B.I.G., “Mo Money Mo Problems” (Official Music Video), 1997.

“Mo Money Mo Problems’ was recorded by The Notorious B.I.G. for his second album, Life After Death, released in 1997. The track features Puff Daddy and Mase and is built around a sample of Diana Ross’s ‘I’m Coming Out.’ This hip hop song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second posthumous No. 1 single for The Notorious B.I.G.” (YouTube, 2011).

The Notorious B.I.G. is not known for his faith-based works or connections. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and working in a Jewish synagogue in his younger days, the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher Wallace) only made references to a global understanding of faith and positive living rather than stating a firm commitment to any religious practice.

The Notorious B.I.G. is known for his scathing lyrical deconstruction and criticism of socio-political issues. His encyclopedic knowledge and depth of cultural analysis were the backbone of his raps. He was not only able to deftly rhyme with ease, but his scripts were also essays on contemporary issues that remain relevant today. What The Notorious B.I.G. did not hold in religious doctrine, he more than made up for in contemporary socio-political understanding. A critical listening to his oeuvre uncovers this reality that talks across the lines of Hip Hop demarcation. One striking connection to the vice president’s comment stated earlier comes in the early career of the Notorious B.I.G., who was signed to Bad Boy Records, owned and operated by Shawn “P Diddy” Combs.

Looking at the track “Mo Money Mo Problems”we are reminded of central gospel truths about money, greed, and worldly desires. Though it can be deduced that these scriptures may not be the core of the Notorious B.I.G.’s intent when penning the track, the title does allow for a socio-religious analysis which, then, positions the track as an agent for a critical theomusicological inclusion.

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15 NKJV).

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap… for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:9-10 NKJV).

“Do not love the world or the things in the world… whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17 NKJV).

In contrast, the West Coast sustained the profile of an artist who was capable of matching The Notorious B.I.G. on all Hip Hop levels. The difference, from a theomusicological perspective, is that the West Coast Hip Hop hero, Tupac, did speak about religion to a non-faith-based community.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation’” (Mark 16:15 NKJV).

West Coast: Tupac Shakur

Photo | Tupac graffiti, Vlasotince, Serbia | courtesy of Wikimedia Creative Commons

A Tupac quote from Thug Scriptures reads, “You fought too hard to heal, grow, and rebuild yourself to go back to what broke you” (emphasis added).

The quote is not too far from the intent of the theme in the track “Mo Money Mo Problems” by the Notorious B.I.G. The similarity follows the desire to engage life through pride, without trusting in the Lord for all matters in life. Yet, this quote does hold a positive undercurrent, which is contrary to the track from the Notorious B.I.G. Both, together and individually, pave the way for a critical socio-religious analysis, a segue for scripture inclusion, and a theomusicological reading.

The album “Loyal to the Game” (2004) has two versions of “Ghetto Gospel,” one with the original version recorded by Tupac before he died in 1996, and another version with the track a little faster.

2Pac, “Ghetto Gospel“, 2004.

“Loyal to the Game is the ninth studio album and fifth posthumous studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur. It was the first posthumous album released by his mother, Afeni Shakur, through her label Amaru Entertainment without the involvement of Suge Knight or Death Row Records. The album was produced by Eminem and consists of remixes of previously unreleased music recorded by Tupac before [he died] in 1996. Released in the United States on December 14, 2004, Loyal to the Game debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)” (Wikimedia Creative Commons, June 24, 2026).

The track “Ghetto Gospel” was taken up in part of this project and mixed by Eminem.

“During an interview with MTV, Eminem stated he was so moved by Tupac’s life and work that he wrote a letter to Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, asking her to consider letting him produce his next album. Shakur agreed, allowing Eminem to produce three new songs for the 2003 soundtrack album, Tupac: Resurrection, and the entirety of Loyal to the Game, bar bonus content.

“All songs on the album were recorded [before] Tupac’s involvement in the controversial East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry, serving as the second posthumous album released, consisting of material from this time period, the first being 1997’s R U Still Down? (Remember Me). Although the songs are mostly unreleased, the title track, “Loyal to the Game”, was previously released on the cassette edition of the 1994 soundtrack album Above the Rim, and subsequently as the B-side to the album’s lead single, “Regulate”.

“The album featured two singles: “Thugs Get Lonely Too”, which served as a promotional single for the album, and “Ghetto Gospel”, which served as the lead single. The album has a version of “Ghetto Gospel” with a much faster tempo and contains a third and fourth verse, which did not appear in Eminem’s remix” (Wikimedia Creative Commons, June 24, 2026).

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 NKJV).

East Meets West In The Gospel

The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, emphasizing His life, death, and resurrection, and is central to the Christian faith. Key Bible verses include John 3:16, Romans 1:16, and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (Bible Study, n.d.).

Looking at the etymology of the word “gospel,” we see that it is derived from the Greek word “euangelion,” which means “good news.” This encapsulates the message of God’s love for humanity and how He provided a way for salvation through Christ, in that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, offering eternal life to all who believe in Him (Bible Study, n.d.).

Bible Reference explores the depth and reality of gospel truth.

“The written Word of God is intended to help us understand this ‘good news.’ By studying the Bible, we learn that each person needs to be saved (Romans 3:23), each person can be saved (Romans 1:16), and God wants each person to be saved (2 Peter 3:9).

“What separates us from God is sin. No matter how good we think we are, every person is guilty of sin (1 John 1:10). Since God is absolutely perfect, no one deserves to spend eternity in heaven. Instead, we deserve to be separated from Him forever (Romans 5:16). No amount of effort, no good deeds, no money, no talent, no achievements are enough to take away this guilt (Isaiah 64:6). Fortunately, God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him, so He made a way to fix what’s broken (John 3:16-17).

“That [only] way is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). God Himself came to earth, as a human, living a perfect and sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). He willingly died as a sacrifice to pay the debt for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). According to the Scriptures, anyone can be “saved”—forgiven by God and guaranteed heaven—through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:13). This isn’t a call for blind, ignorant belief (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). It’s an invitation from the Holy Spirit to submission and trust (James 4:7). It’s a choice to let go of everything else [to] rely entirely on God” (Bible Reference, 2017).

This contextualizes gospel truth and its central importance for Christianity. If it is considered that the work by the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac spoke (read: rapped) about the truth of their environment, the lived realities, and the necessity for liberation from the oppressed context, what they subtextually believed was that they were expressing a ghettoized (read: marginalized, suppressed, socio-economically and politically disenfranchised) rhetoric that is the truth (read: a secular gospel understanding) of their conditions. Yet, these artists framed their narratives around social issues for their community (read: secular evangelism).

Both positioned their work as a critical agency for liberation (read: activism) coming from their individual understanding and relationship to their community (read: personal testimony, community, and discipleship). What is collected are the core elements of theomusicology (personal testimony, evangelism, discipleship, biblical truth/lyrics, community, and activism) expressed by the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac as a “Ghetto Gospel.”

These Hip Hop icons are not expressing a core understanding of biblical knowledge, but they are fulfilling a “good news” for their community and, by proxy, the global Hip Hop community. There is a theomusicological agency provided. Taking their works, positioning these as a Hip Hop community truth, a secular gospel perspective, which seeks liberation from socio-political, economic, educational, psychological, philosophical, and religious/spiritual oppression and discrimination, it is possible, then, to introduce real biblical truth, actual Gospel truth, the foundational “good news” of Christianity to a non-faith-based community. It is possible, then, to read the Hip Hop works from Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac as theomusicological agency, recontextualizing the theme “Ghetto Gospel” as socio-religious discourse, turning the gaze from social-political negative narratives to one on foundational biblical truth, the Gospel truth, to elucidate, illustrate, demonstrate, and articulate the importance of what Bible Reference outlines for one to move from a non-believer to a believer, a faith-based person, the invitation to transition from pop cultural confirmations of defeat to a transformation of personal salvation through Gospel truth, which is a de-ghettoization of the mind, heart, and spirit.

“There is nothing anyone can ‘do’ [to] be saved. The only way a person can find salvation is by accepting Jesus Christ as their savior. This simply means believing that…
I am a sinner who deserves God’s judgment (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23).

Jesus Christ is God, and He came to earth as a man (John 1:14).

Jesus died in my place, in order to pay for my sins (Romans 8:3-4; Hebrews 10:14).

Jesus came back from the dead, as He said He would (Romans 4:25; Mark 8:31).

I am trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice, and nothing else, [to] save me (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:5).

As best I know how, I am turning away from my sins, putting all of my faith (trust) in Jesus to save me (2 Corinthians 7:10; Acts 16:31) (Bible Reference, 2017).

From The Hip

The unlikely opportunity of an impromptu comment by Vice President JD Vance while on a book tour promoting a book on his personal testimony and recommitment to Catholicism, about a Hip Hop pop star who was found guilty of hedonist crimes, points toward a historic polarizing professional disagreement between the East and West coasts where the prized raps from the champions of each location can be inverted, re-narrated through a critical theomusicological lens to activate biblical knowledge which expands the phrase “Ghetto Gospel” through a faith-based dialectic that results in the presentation of the Gospel. The process is available once one takes active possession of pop cultural opinions, comments, statements, and signifiers, seeing how these can be inverted, re-read, or re-presented theomusicologically to invest biblical knowledge and Gospel truth in the sonic or verbal conversation.

To read more from Alan Lechusza Aquallo’s “The Sweatpant Sessions,” please consider subscribing for free and check out others on Patheos.

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About Alan Lechusza Aquallo

Dr. Alan Lechusza is a scholar whose name has become synonymous with critical thought and cultural discourse. He is a thinker and writer who explores popular culture with a critical eye. He holds a PhD and uses his deep, resource-rich understanding to question and redefine how we see art, power, and knowledge. His research covers various topics that aim to break down and rebuild our ideas about culture, artistry, and socio-political authority. Dr. Lechusza closely examines everyday cultural expressions in ways that challenge conventional thinking. His writings make people think and view culture in new ways. Dr. Alan Lechusza wants to create conversations to inspire change and challenge our understanding of how we experience the world. You can read more about the author here.

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