Video summary
Mark Curry has publicly expressed his frustration regarding the financial compensation and lack of official recognition he received for his contributions to the Diddy documentary, *The Reckoning*. As a former Bad Boy Records artist and a key talent who brought many subjects from his book onto the project, Curry claims he was promised a production credit that would remain valid even if the documentary were sold. However, despite the film's massive success on Netflix with over 21 million views in just six days, Curry states he only received $69 because no sync license was attached to his music usage. He argues that this amount is insufficient given the scale of the project and the fact that the proceeds are intended for victims, noting that he has waited nearly a year without seeing any actual financial return or formal credit.
In response to Curry's complaints, 50 Cent took to social media with a series of posts that many interpret as mocking rather than addressing the core issues. Instead of engaging in a serious discussion about the contract or the missing funds, 50 Cent posted jokes involving cash app handles and emojis, which Curry and others view as a direct insult given his public testimony against Sean "Diddy" Combs. The situation escalated when Curry felt that 50 Cent was turning his own story into a punchline, effectively burning bridges with both Diddy and 50 Cent. Critics of the response point out that while 50 Cent is currently serving a prison sentence, he is still profiting from the documentary's success, whereas Curry feels he has been left empty-handed despite providing essential content and contacts for the production.
The underlying tension in this dispute highlights a broader lesson about the importance of formalizing agreements in the entertainment industry. Curry emphasizes that he believed his verbal promises were enough, expecting 50 Cent to honor his word without a signed contract, but he now realizes that "proper preparation prevents poor performance." He advises others to always get everything in writing, regardless of how well they know the person involved, because relying on handshakes or verbal assurances can lead to significant financial and professional losses. The incident serves as a cautionary tale for artists and collaborators who may assume they will be treated fairly based on past relationships, only to find themselves without recourse when things go wrong.
Ultimately, the conflict has left Curry in a difficult position where his book sales have reportedly suffered because the documentary overshadowed his written work, and his relationship with both Diddy and 50 Cent appears irreparably damaged. While some might argue that speaking out publicly was the right thing to do, the lack of a legal contract complicates his ability to seek restitution or demand better terms. The situation underscores the harsh reality that in business, especially within the music and film industries, one must protect their interests from the very beginning rather than hoping for generosity later. As Curry concludes, if you cannot sign a contract that protects your best interests, you should not enter into the deal at all, as relying on someone else's goodwill without written proof is a recipe for disappointment and potential ruin.
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[music]
Yeah, we on TV. Shout out to E.
I feel like I wouldn't be myself if I
didn't address something that's on my
mind.
So, when we first did this documentary,
I was supposed to get a production
credit.
And so, that's why I put the documentary
together the way that I did. Um, I gave
them a lot of talent.
Um, [clears throat] that's why if you go
and read my book, you you'll basically
see almost everybody that I talked about
in the book, I was able to get on the
documentary aside a few of the other
people that they had at the end, but I
was the one that put that thing
together. I was promised a production
credit and the production credit said
that even if the documentary was sold, I
would be grandfathered into the deal
because I helped produce that whole
documentary.
So now when I see, you know, I saw where
uh 50 was like the proceeds were going
to go towards the victims, I haven't
seen that yet. I still was waiting
patiently trying to see what this was
all about, what this was all for.
Nothing really ever came about. So I was
like, "Hold up. This right here is worse
than any deal I You talk about a deal
with Puff, this is a worse deal than the
worst deal."
>> Wow, man. Guys, Mark Curry speaks out
after he said, you know, he said Diddy
documentary only paid him $69.
OG, are you there?
>> Yeah. Who is it?
>> Mark Curry. Mark Curry is one of the
former Bad Boy artists who he helped uh
50 do the documentary on Diddy. And now
he's saying, "Man, damn man. $69 all I'm
kidding." And then 50 Cent responded to
Mark Curry with a joke, a pair of
eyeball emojis, and a cash app handle he
made up on the spot after Curry posted
the video saying he made after he say um
after that next fit documentary, Sean
Combmes uh the reckoning and never got
the production credits. He says he was
promised 50 Cent promoted it with the uh
captains telling Curry to chill out and
asking him for his cash app then naming
a handle at Diddy touched by your blood.
Oh my god. No man, don't do this. Don't
do this 50 and tagged his 50 cent action
page. What's wrong with 50? He ain't
gonna pay him.
>> No. Hell no. You That's just like it
like all of these dudes getting on the
stand. Don't nobody respect a rap. When
you get on there and you get the little
cheese you get, don't think you going to
get no complimentaries for doing
something. If he was down with Bad Boys,
THAT'S THE ONE THAT said he started
helped him start bad boys and Buffy
didn't give him nothing. Right.
>> Well, he said Mark Curry, he say this
was in his book at first. say say he
brought all his stuff, brought all his
contacts over to did o over the uh 50
Cent and to to to no to his surprise he
only got $69 is what he's saying. OG
>> well hey that's bad economics on his
part. We work for white folks for 300
years and we we ain't got the $69. So
join the club.
>> You should have made you should have had
you should have had a better contract
than that. That's that's your foolish.
But what you did is you turned on what
you said supposedly in a friend and you
went with the ops and that's what you
get. Good.
>> Wow. Curry had laid out a real complaint
before that response landed. He said,
"Come with me." the 1998 Godzilla
soundtrack record he helped write was
discussing in the documentary and viewed
more than 50 million times and that he
saw $69 from it because there was no
sync license attached. A sync license is
the agreement that pays a songwriter
when their music gets uh used in a film
or TV show. Curry says he was told none
of none was needed because he was only
talking about the song rather than the
performing it. He called the whole thing
terrible and said securing the license
was the obvious move if anybody actually
wanted money going to the victims. Man,
he said this here is bad. OG he says
this bad. Then he got the credit if he
did that.
>> Wait a minute. No. Why does he feel it's
bad and the money is going the proceeds
are going to the victims? Curry says he
was told he would receive production
credits and he says he worked
accordingly.
>> Does it happen in writing?
[laughter]
>> Bringing the talent and getting people
he wrote about in his book to sit down
with the cameras. He says the promise
included being grandfathered into the
deal in the project if it ever was sold.
His summary and how it ended worse than
what the deal he had with Puff Daddy.
This is the worst thing ever. A lot of
people are are are upset because they
money gone, man. Money is tight right
now, OG.
Hey, proper preparation prevents poor
performance. [laughter]
>> Why the money is tight? What do you
think he should have did beforehand?
>> He didn't think it was tight when he was
doing that, did he?
>> He thought he WAS GOING TO GET A BUMP
UP.
>> Last time he thought it was earthquake.
We got one coming out here now. I I
remember when gas was 35 cent a whole
gallon. Now it's $69 gallon. Why am I
supposed to be mad? Buy you some gas and
shut up.
>> OG, you never going to go against 50
Cent. You know damn well this man is
telling him he wanted to pay $69.
>> PAYING FOR WHAT?
>> I'M A LISTEN, LET ME SAY THIS. Let me
say this. I'm a big 50 cent fan, man.
>> Oh yeah.
I'm a big 50 cent fan. I am, man. I
gotta look at my store. I'm a big 50
Cent fan. And I'mma tell you something.
I got Would you let me? [laughter]
>> That's what you are.
>> Oh, you don't do this, man. Let me
finish my story. OJ, I'm a big 50cent
fan.
>> And and and you got to think about it,
man.
>> I mean, from Chaotic to all DJ Chaotic
to everybody that's rocking with him. I
rock with him 10 toes down. I watch
Power. I watch all of the stuff he do.
But $69 OG, you don't think something
wrong with that?
>> Yeah, I think it's I think it's more
than reasonable.
>> Why you say that? OG, he should have got
his money up front. He should have got
his bumper.
>> Wait a minute. Just like Just like uh uh
Puffy got 50 months for 50 cent. That
man got $69. You know what the position
69 IS?
>> OH, COME ON. OG now. No, you did not go
there. I'm just saying.
>> Oh, you and I go down. What? What the
hell does that 69 position got to do
with anything, man?
>> Hey, what you crazy?
>> You thought you You thought you have me.
I asked you back.
>> OH, [laughter]
since you 69. You know what I'm saying?
[laughter]
>> I remember I told this girl one time,
right? Uh, you have just been 86. Leave
quietly and nobody will know. And when
she find out what 86 meant, oh, she was
mad as hell.
[laughter]
>> So he find out what the 69 was for. What
the what he could buy with his $69?
>> He says he also says the documentary
hurt his book. Now he was selling book
good on his book, but then his
documentary hurt his book. [laughter]
>> His position.
>> He should have kept his mouth shut. He
said his position is that people saw him
telling the story on Netflix and figured
there was nothing left to buy at a book
>> after he done told the story on Netflix.
>> Thank you.
>> The time to yourself
>> the timing is uh
[laughter]
this is bad. You think about this for a
minute. The timing is the timing is the
part 50 cent respon response to Mark
Curry over Curry posted this day the the
days after the reckoning of of Warren
and Emmy and Emmy at the creative arts
ceremony September 5th taking
outstanding picture editing for a
non-fiction program 50 was not in the
room he was in Canada and he posted
about it anyway with a caption asking if
anybody still thought he was taking an L
curry watched that happen and said out
loud that it's crazy for a man to win
and award off another man's story while
the man the story is about gets no
credit. The Cash App name is not even a
random insult either. It is a direct
shot at what Curry has said publicly
about his years around Shawn Combmes,
which is the same testimony that helped
make the documentary what it is. Curry
was in the first teaser. His voice is is
one of the first things anybody hear he
heard about the project. Turning that
into a punchline is a choice. And 50
Cent knows exactly what kind of choice
it is. Um what he did, and this is
crazy, what he did not do is answer the
questions underneath all of it. When 50
Cent announced the uh project back in
2023, the statement arrangement was the
proceeds Gunit films and television
received would go to the victims of the
SA or or grape. Um uh which Curry says
he has been waiting close to the year to
see where any of the money actually
landed and has gotten nothing back. A
cash app joke is not
>> He wasn't outside, was he?
>> No, he wasn't. A cash app joke is an
account. [laughter]
>> You're not a victim. You're a rat.
>> Hey, cuz he told it. He don't supposed
to say nothing. OG, really?
>> What? What he say? He wrote his book and
he thought he was snubbing Puffy that he
had done all of this and Puffy dogged
him out. So, what do you think? You know
what? What' you say? Life is just like a
boomerang. The same thing you throw out
come back at you.
>> That's right.
The reckoning dropped December the 2nd
and and pulled in 21.8 million views in
six days, which makes it one of the
biggest documentary launch Netflix has
had. Combmes is currently serving 50
month sentence after his conviction last
year on two accounts of transportation
of uh engaged in uh you know what it is
prostitution with the project release
date at May. his they projected him to
be released at May which that got moved
up to February. I don't know this has
got to be wrong. May 2028 that got moved
up to February.
So OG there it is. Um
>> it's moved up. He ain't getting a
nickel. Not one red cent.
>> OG. So do you think he wrong for
speaking out publicly about this? Should
he have DM'd uh 50 Cent? Well, all all
the speaking he doing, if he don't have
any legal litigation,
if he think he is right, why don't he
sue,
>> man? The brother don't want to sue
another He don't want to sue another
black man. I feel him. I feel him on
that. I feel him on that.
>> You told Oh, no, no, no. You told a
black man. You told all a black man's
business. No, no, no. Don't
discriminate. No, you're not. Now, it's
for you. You want to say, "Oh, I've been
done wrong." But when when like you say,
uh, you're the famous Christian that
always talk about, "Don't kick a MAN
DOWN."
>> WAIT A MINUTE. First of all, why? Wait a
minute. Now you Now you going to tick me
off. You the famous Christian that say
don't kick a man when he down. Yeah,
you're right. I said that.
>> Don't kick. So when he was when Puffy
was down at his lowest, this man got up
with his adversary and tried to build a
monumental dirty brick to toss at him
while he was already down and he thought
he was going to profit from it
>> and it just did not happen. And it just
did not happen. And and I think that's
something that's really eating him up
because he maybe could have salvaged
that relationship with Diddy if he would
have just stayed back and stayed out of
it. Maybe Diddy comes out after he gets
out, he comes out and hang out with him
and they do some stuff together. But it
looks like now that that won't happen.
So now he's burnt bridges with Diddy.
He's burnt bridges with 50 Cent and his
bridges burning days is really coming to
an end. You know the
>> and his book and his book is in the
garage. The book can't sell because 50
Cent done put the damn documentary. I
did 21.8 million views. Everybody heard
his story now.
>> Yeah. Why? Why you want to read a book
when you can watch a movie? This is This
is the 20th century. You got audio
books. Nobody read no more. You big
dummy.
>> Oh god. Oh gee. You got to think about
it, man. This brother was doing what he
thought. He wanted to be a part of 50's
camp. He wanted to be a part of what 50
had going on when it was a campaign
against Diddy. Everybody was doing it.
He thought he would have got him a
little dust out of it. Just a little
dust out of it.
>> Now, you know, one time I I thought I
wanted to be a pimp. Right.
>> Right.
>> And I I was hanging out with the pimps
and they was slapping Cadillacs, pimping
hoes, and I got stabbed three times for
being all of my damn element. [laughter]
>> Sometime you got to get you got to get
the hell out the way, man. Get out the
way. This ain't for you, homie. Well,
guys, listen.
>> So, some stuff for you, bro. You don't
be the only one in the room.
>> Damn. Damn. Damn. Like Florida Evans
said, "Damn, damn. Damn. This here is
not good, guys. Listen, listen, guys.
You got to understand this, man.
If you don't get things on the dotted
line when it's going down, if you don't
take care of business and you trying to
get in, and I've been telling guys this
that come on Boss Talk 101. If you go in
compromising all the things that you
know you want, don't expect to get them
at the end. You have to go in with a
business mindset to say, "This is what I
want, and this is all I'm going to take,
or else I'm not doing it, and I need you
to sign this paper right here." Don't
give a damn if it's just an envelope.
Don't give a damn if it's a little
receipt paper like this. Just get his
name on it. Right there. Just sign his
name. Got a pen right there. Get his
name right there and just write it. It
don't matter what kind of paper it is.
Long as you get his handwriting on there
to say he agree with it. Don't have to
even be notorized. You just need this
here to take to court. Pay me more than
$69
for doing this documentary. I'm not
playing. We agreed that I would have
credits after this is said and done and
you and you I if this is sold and here
50 uh sign uh right here Curtis right
here please don't sign 50 cent. I want
you to sign Curtis. Okay, that's
business right there guys. That's right
there is business. When you get a person
to acknowledge what he's saying and you
write it down and you sign your name and
sign his name, y'all got an agreement
and you can do something with that. But
if you didn't do that, I'm sorry to tell
you, Mr. Curry, it's not gonna be easy
to recoup. Uh, your book sales, I
wouldn't blame that so much on 50. You
got to market these books. You got to
get up and get out and get something.
Like our cash said, you can't expect
somebody to give you something for free.
50 Cent and you and what happens a lot
of time, people look at what somebody
else got and then they envy them and
think, "Why I ain't getting something?
Why I don't have that?" And next thing
you know, you on a a live stream saying
whatever God can hear. Whatever God
anybody, hey man, this man didn't do me
right and blah blah blah. When you were
linked up with him for the documentary
and you couldn't have heard, you didn't
hear a peep out of you. You wouldn't say
nothing because you didn't want to miss
out on that opportunity to do that damn
documentary with 50 Cent Curry. That's
all it is. you wanted to do it and you
done it and you didn't take care of your
business because you finesse your way
in. And you know damn well they not
gonna give you nothing on the back end
if you didn't say something on the what?
Front end instead of trying to ease your
way in just to get to be a part of
something. Take care of business first.
Anybody that's watching this, make sure
you take care of business first. And
that's the truth, guys. And guys, hey
OG, he didn't take care of business. But
I mean, as you said, and and and I see
that a lot in dealing with artists and
dealing with different things and you do
something and I tell you, oh man, you
know, I'mma look out for you and I'mma
do this. If we get into something and
you cannot sign a contract, you don't
have my best interest. Now, why we got
to sign this? Why we got Oh, you know,
I'mma look out for you. But if you look
out for me, you sign it. When you have
an ulterior motion
motive, he thought he was giving so much
information that 50 was going to be
indebted to him and because of what I
you told it's public information now.
>> Once you go to once you go to internet
with it, it's over.
>> It's over,
>> man.
>> Everybody, whatever business you in,
whatever your talent is, always have a
contract
>> there. They're they're always have a
contract, guys. And guys, I appreciate
you for watching, guys. And listen,
guys, if you're still watching, man, uh
y'all know already what happened with
Kiwan White a little bit earlier, man.
He came out and said a few things just
to get people to understand. Hey, man.
I'm I'm I'm keeping it stiff over here.
I'm solid as a rock, man. Ain't going up
in there. I don't know. Y'all let me
know what y'all think. You can watch me
and OG talk about it right here. Boss
Talk 101 Reviews.
Yeah, we on Boss Talk TV. Shout out to
E. The reason you see