Canned Danity Kane member Aubrey O’Day said obtaining the group’s publishing rights came with a disadvantage — an NDA agreement mandating members to backtrack any wrongdoing accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Aubrey appeared on the latest episode of the Only Stans podcast (Sept. 14), where she voiced her disapproval of the publishing rights agreement that practically nickeled and dimed Bad Boy Records artists and prohibited them from publicly slandering Diddy and several publishing companies.
The former Danity Kane member acknowledged that Diddy did give her a platform to showcase her talents and that the two shared beautiful moments. But Aubrey expounded that the concept of Diddy returning publishing rights to Bad Boy artists was more aggrandized than the situation’s reality.
Reading the agreement from her phone, Aubrey said (some) artists could have their rights back if they agreed to “release [Diddy] for any claims or wrongdoings or actions prior to the date of the release.”
She continued, “I have to sign an NDA that I will never disparage Puff, Bad Boy, Janice Combs, Justin Combs Music, EMI, or Sony ever in public.”
Aubrey stated she received the agreement a few months back.
The contract included details of how much she would receive in royalties, claiming that Danity Kane members would only get $800-$900 despite the group’s two platinum records under Bad Boy that garnered about $48 million.
“You’re presenting yourself as the benevolent god that’s giving everybody back their music. You’ve turned down millions of dollars to give the millions back to the people,” Aubrey expressed. “This is the honest-to-God agreement of what I’m being offered: a few hundred dollars to sign away my rights to never tell the story of what I went through again.”
Aubrey ranted about how the music industry changed, calling the current industry a “singles market,” claiming the focus shifted to creating chart-topping songs instead of albums.
The 39-year-old singer stated many silenced girl and boy band members craved to share their experiences of being in the music industry back then, using the Ray J and Kim Kardashian situation as an example.
She stated in the interview that Danity Kane performed in heels and thongs for years yet didn’t see a cent of the estimated $48 million someone else made from them and that the members went into debt while touring.
Aubrey also revealed that she contacted her former bandmates and pleaded with them not to sign the agreement.
“I offered some of the girls, ‘Hey, if you need $800-$900, I’ll give it to you. Don’t sign this! This is just a way to get you to never be able to publicly speak about what we have experienced,” she said, adding only two of the five Danity Kane members denied signing the agreement.
She clarified that Sony and EMI would pay them for streamed songs, not the estimated $48 million from their albums.
“This is just some measly streaming money in order to stay hushed on Puff,” Aubrey said.
Aubrey also slammed MTV and Paramount+ for showing reruns of nostalgic shows like Jersey Shore but not Making the Band, a reality TV that followed music acts like Danity Kane and their journey to fame, believing Diddy had something to do with it.
Per a MadameNoire report, certain Bad Boy artists like Faith Evans, 112, The Lox and late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate were Bad Boy artists that would receive contracts for their publishing rights, seemingly shutting down the narrative that Diddy didn’t pay his artists.
But Aubrey wasn’t the only one to speak against the mogul. Florida-based rapper Mase called out Diddy for allegedly declining his $2 million offer to buy back his catalog, adding Diddy bought it for $20,000 and that it was all about power.
