"I think this role will definitely be a revelation to people," said Combs, known to most as Diddy, as he leaned into a couch backstage at the Greek Theatre last month. "People have this perception of me — which is my fault — of maybe a rapper or Champagne-sipping and Hamptons and white fur and just cliché type of things that are just kind of old and dated and corny, which isn't how I am today, you know? That was just part of my image for a second. It wasn't who Sean is. You evolve — like, I need to retire my diamond necklace and fur jacket now. Things change. Times change." ...

"Our shoots are demanding, and he was on set every day, exactly on time and super-prepared," added Stoller in a separate interview. "And that's why he's a mogul. You can't be where he's at in his career and show up to things late. He treated it like a real learning experience — like, 'You guys understand comedy; I want to learn that.'"

HipHopDX: I just gotta start off by saying that “Delusional” , that s*** goes hard… Now, you know I gotta have you elaborate on that second verse… “How this dude got my publishing checks in a tight yoke…Wrote contracts up that’s designed to leave you broke…”

Black Rob: I don’t want nobody to get [any] misconceptions that I was talking about Puffy. I’m not talking about Puffy. See, when I signed to Bad Boy [Records] I was already [in a production] deal with [someone else.] We [had] already signed a contract that was designed to [basically] invest in him my whole career – a publishing check, a recording contract. So, it’s not Puffy. Puffy ain’t got my publishing checks in a tight yoke, Puff got the publishing that I gave him [from] the initial signing of the contract. [But], Puff ain’t got my publishing checks, it’s this Ray Roterio dude that we’re looking for, [but] we can’t find him…[In the song when I say] “the mirrors and the smoke was fooling the town’s folk,” that’s [about] Bad Boy. I just wanna make it clear. ...

DX: I understand that Puff wants you back on Bad Boy?

Black Rob: It was something spoke about it like that with the Vice President of Bad Boy, [Harve Pierre], myself and Puffy on the phone. But, Puffy’s doing what he’s doing right now with all these other artists. So, I’m not gonna try to take a backseat to none of these artists that ain’t selling no records. Ain’t none of them selling more records than me. None of ‘em sold more records than me, so I’m not gon’ take a backseat to none of them dudes. None of them n***** is better than me. I don’t care how many records you make my man.

"Each artist that's committed to art has the opportunity to see beauty and messages that a normal person may not be able to see," she says. "I want to do that on my own terms, and I know I have a responsibility to the people who are going through everyday life's obstacles, and are feeling oppressed and depressed and suppressed. And I definitely want to create music that empowers and uplifts them. This is my job."

I could tell from the table read [that Diddy] just seemed like he was really serious. He did a good job, so I would say he does know what comedic timing is. [Laughs.] There’s definitely some improvisation that goes on. We finished the scenes and he was probably on the phone on like 10 Bluetooths dealing with the Diddy empire.

After the taping [of "Inside the Actor's Studio], Diddy’s dressing room is calm. His mother, Janice Combs, sits quietly. His good friend, the unsigned rapper Jay Electronica shows off his iPad, while Diddy’s artist Cassie gets half of her head shaped up by a barber. Meanwhile, Diddy huddles with his manager, Chris Lighty of Violator Management, and co-manager James Cruz. “He went in,” Puffy says about Lipton’s methodical and agonizingly obsequious interview. “It was surreal for me to be on Inside the Actors Studio. It was surreal for me to be on that stage.”