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Grief has become a part of everyday life lately. Losing loved ones is a painful process both physically and emotionally. Hip-Hop icon, Sean “Diddy” Combs has suffered his share of loss.
Only one year and a half after losing one of his greatest loves, Kim Porter, he is struggling with the loss of his mentor.
READ MORE: After tragically losing Kim Porter last year, is Diddy ready for love?
Andre Harrell was the founder of Uptown Records. Harrell gave Diddy his first industry job and the label is where he began to make his mark. His ultimate firing from the label led to the founding of the iconic Bad Boy Records empire.
In a moving Instagram post, Diddy wrote how he has to allow himself to feel the reality of the loss, “in doses.” He said, “Because I can’t even handle this. I hope to God that you are all blessed to have someone in your life that loves you and believes in you like this man believed in me.”
“I call you my big brother, but tonight I have to tell you the truth,” Combs shares with his mentor. “I told you my father died when I was 2 1/2. Andre, you’ve been my father for the last 30 years, B.”
He finished the moving post with the caption, “LOVE YOU FOREVER @andreharrell !!!!!!!!!!”
Andre Harrell died last weekend. The cause of death has not been made official. TMZ speculates that it was heart failure.
Uptown Records was founded in 1986. The label was the home of Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Heavy D., and more. The iconic label dominated R&B charts throughout the 90s and changed the sound and marketing of Black music. Years after Harrell, let a young Puff Daddy go from his duties as an executive at the label, the protegé hired his mentor in various capacities in his Combs Enterprises; most recently as the Vice Chairman of REVOLT TV and Media.
In late January, Harrell posted a message sending congratulations to his mentee who was awarded as a music icon of 2020 by the Grammy’s. Harrell said, “Great performance. great speech. Proud of U.” in his Instagram post.
Experts have said that “Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. These are normal reactions to loss—and the more significant the loss, the more intense your grief will be.”