Diddy and Timbaland had a heated Instagram live debate about R&B, specifically its alleged “death” in early August.

Usher, an R&B artist, is not pleased with Diddy’s claims:

“When I do hear people, even like Puff saying, you know R&B is dead, he sounds nuts to me.”

In an interview with SiriusXM’s Bevelations, he stated:

“It sounds crazy. You know, especially knowing he was a pioneer in understanding and beneficiary of it.”

He then discussed how the histories of R&B and Hip-Hop are intertwined:

“R&B created the breath of life that was breathed into Hip-Hop. […] There would be no Hip-Hop if there were not R&B, so it’s blasphemous to hear me say, to hear people say anything, especially Hip-Hop cats, to say anything about R&B.”

Diddy sparked debate by asking:

“Who killed R&B?”

While Timbaland tried his best to provide an answer, Diddy was adamant about the subject, declaring:

“R&B is muthaf**kin’ dead as of right now.”

Usher emphasized the state of R&B in the interview, calling it “timeless” and saying it’s “not going away.”

Diddy’s claims, according to Bevy Smith, were most likely a marketing ploy for his upcoming album, and Diddy “didn’t really mean” his claims.

However, the King of R&B isn’t having any of it, claiming that celebrating something in decline is the better way to go about it.

After receiving backlash for his Instagram Live session with Timbaland, Diddy took to Twitter to defend himself, claiming that the conversation was not intended to offend anyone and that it was solely to “bring attention to R&B.”

R&B, he says, requires love, vulnerability, and support.