SAMUELS: Some people are going to be surprised to hear that you’ve been on the road opening for ‘N Sync.
COMBS: I think what they’ve done as far as crossing over and erasing the color line is incredible. Their songs “Gone” and “Girlfriend” got huge crossover play on black radio, and that was important to them, so this just kind of made sense. We hang tight. You see how they’re in and out of my room and I’m in and out of their rooms? It’s funny because we like the same things–the same music, the same artists, the same parties. It’s all love around here.
Obviously, life was different last year. When the shooting occurred at that nightclub, were you just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
We were leaving when the whole thing went down, and it just turned into a nightmare. I didn’t know what was happening. Why would I intentionally do that to me or my kids? You don’t know the trouble my kids went through at school with other kids saying their daddy had shot somebody–you don’t know how much that hurt them.
Did the possibility of going to jail make you want people to see a different side of you?
Yeah. It was a while before I realized just what the perception of me was out there. I thought I was just a young black man making hip-hop music and having fun–no big thing. Then it sort of hit me that a lot of people thought of me as this thug who only wore fur coats, drank liquor and got into trouble. I decided I didn’t want people to think that of me or any other black man. So I made it a point that when I went to court every day I was always in a nice suit–that I was articulate and together at all times.
The stress of the trial clearly didn’t help your relationship with Jennifer Lopez.
I was fighting for my life and for the chance to watch my kids grow up–that’s where my focus had to be. Everything went bad so quickly. There were problems in the relationship before the trial. We were in a very public relationship–that didn’t help. Then, during the trial, we had to be apart a lot, which made it easy to stray. I couldn’t be at her door with flowers and cards. A relationship needs that or someone else will step in.
Were you surprised by how quickly she got married after the breakup?
Long pause, nervous laugh] Yeah, I was surprised. I mean, I didn’t know it was coming, but if getting married made her happy, then I’m happy she’s married.
You played Halle Berry’s husband in “Monster’s Ball.” Were you hurt she didn’t thank you at the Oscars?
It was her time to shine, and I can’t hate on that. She thanked me the night before at her party and that was enough. And truthfully, she was the only one butt naked on the screen–she didn’t have to thank me or anyone else for that.
MTV is talking about doing a reality show like “The Osbournes” about you. Are you ready for that kind of attention?
First of all it won’t be in my house. [Laughs] I ain’t ready for that–and neither is America. Mine would be following me around while I’m working with new artists and me in the studio, which is definitely some wild s–t. I don’t think they’ve had a show that really got into the music business, and I think I can do that. But I can’t do what Ozzy’s doing. I don’t think anybody can. That cat is one of a kind.
