Diddy's hit MTV show included Sara Rivers, Freddy P, Chopper Young City, Dylan Dilinjah, Babs and E. Ness.
In the early 2000s, MTV’s Making the Band 2 gave us Da Band — a group of six artists from the hottest cities in America, united under the watchful eye of Sean “Diddy” Combs. With a blend of eclectic sounds, relentless drive and unstoppable ambition, the group’s short-lived journey was nothing short of iconic. But as is often the case when it comes to some of the music mogul’s groups, their success was met with hurdles and the group eventually disbanded.
Da Band was a powerhouse of diverse talent, with each member bringing their own unique flair to the collective. From the soulful R&B vocals of Michigan-native Sara Rivers (formerly Sara Stokes) to the Caribbean-infused sounds of Dylan Dilinjah, the group showcased a wide range of artistry. Chopper Young City represented for the New Orleans Hip-Hop scene, while Babs emerged as a lyrical assassin from Brooklyn. Additionally, E. Ness, brought his Philly battle rap skills and Freddy P delivered that Miami southern twang.
Although each member has taken on their own solo path since then — with some seeing more success than others — fans still seem to have an interest in what Da Band has been up to.
Ahead of New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act’s “lookback window” coming to an end on Friday (Feb. 28), the R&B songstress demanded at least $60,000,000 in damages for “extreme emotional distress impacting nearly every aspect of Plaintiff’s life and personal relationships” — which she claims occurred while she was filming the show in 2002. In her suit, she claims she endured “inhumane” treatment while filming and also alleges that Diddy “interfered” with her music career for years after her time on the show, including “sabotaging” several record deals.
As some members have shared their less-than-enjoyable experience working with the incarcerated Hip-Hop/R&B impresario, others have focused on rebranding their name. Take a look below as VIBE shares what each former member of Da Band has been up to.
Chopper Young City
Photo : Instagram/
Chopper was a stand out in Da Band, as his raspy NOLA accent gave that southern flair, reminiscent of the Lil Wayne and Cash Money days. Post-disbandment, Young City was the only member to go on to sign a solo deal with Bad Boy South before eventually parting ways with the label. His most recent official release, Man on Mars, came out in 2018 on MOE Entertainment. And in 2020, he released the single “Payback.”
“When I was over there with Puff, [he made me] rap over whatever beat he wanted me to, which was corny as f**k,” he revealed to XXL in 2007. “He [was] trying to tell me to do it like this and do it like that. I’m like, “Man, f**k naw!” Speaking to getting out of his BBS obligations, he recalled “What happened was, a good friend of mine at Cash Money [Baby] paid for me to get out of it. He helped me get out [of] the contract. Shout out to Cash Money, them real ni**as right there. That boy Baby—real ni**a! Weezy cool, but Baby the one. He a real ni**a.”
Last month, Chopper spoke on Diddy‘s ongoing legal woes and made some claims of his own about the incarcerated mogul. In a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue, Chopper claimed that Diddy profited $30,000,000 from Da Band while the group received only a fraction of that sum. He also alleged that Diddy threatened to kill fellow band member, Freddy P.
Babs
Photo : Instagram/brooklynbabs
Babs Bunny transitioned from her role as the fierce spitter in Da Band to becoming a pioneering force in battle rap, specifically for women. Following her time with the group, the Brooklynite co-founded “Queen of the Ring” — a platform that highlights and showcases female battle rappers.
She now carries the title of “Don Queen of Battle Rap.” Aside from the rap world, Babs is also a devoted mom and frequently shares moments between her and her son on Instagram.
E. Ness
Photo : Instagram/eness_215
Philadelphia’s E. Ness leveraged his Da Band fame to build a notable career in battle rap. Known for his lyrical prowess, he’s participated in high-profile matches against some of the most lyrically lethal MCs. Beyond that, Ness has appeared on countless platforms to showcase his talent such Sway In The Morning and On The Radar, and has even joined Hip-Hop vets like Black Thought on wax and the stage.
Last year, Ness dropped a video for his freestyle titled “Diddy Do It?” aimed at his former boss, who remains behind bars awaiting trial.
Freddy P
Photo : Instagram/Fred_peezy
Freddy P‘s journey post-Da Band has consisted of him releasing music independently, and also reflecting on his experiences working under Diddy. In recent interviews, he has opened up about the darker side of the music industry, shedding light on the pressures he and Da Band faced.
Last year, the 43-year-old appeared on The Art of Dialogue and discussed the day that things went too far with Diddy, ultimately leaving him no choice but to exit the group. “One day, I was waking up and I was in a mood,” Freddy began. “I’m in the studio, I’m snapping or whatever. I didn’t even want to be f**ked with. You know when you around a bunch of goofies and you a street ni**a, sometimes you don’t want to be around the nerds. So I’m in that bi**h — I’m just frustrated with a lot of sh*t going on.”
He revealed that he and Diddy got into a “situation.” He shared, “We in front of everybody, ni**a like, ‘Man, what you think you bout it or something?’ He was like, ‘Ni**a, I’ll buy every house on your block, shut every light off in that bi**h and every time you come out that bi**h, you’ll get popped.’ When he tell you some sh*t like that, you go to picture him purchasing every house, you going to picture every light going off and that sh*t silenced me.”
In 2022, he revealed that Diddy was the cause of his suicidal thoughts.
Dylan Dilinjah
Photo : Instagram/DylanDili
Dylan Dilinjah brought a distinctive Caribbean flair to Da Band as a Brooklyn-born, Grenada-raised rapper/singer. Since his reality TV days, Dylan has spent over a decade moving the goalpost from Making The Bandand the infamous Dave Chappelle skit of him, to focusing on his music and acting career.
In 2017, Dylan dropped his debut project, Pain 2 Power, and even signed to Akon’s KonLive label. Prior to that, Dylan also worked on the indie film Brooklyn Bred with Tionna Smalls and Angela Yee and even tapped back into his DJ bag with a current Caribbean station on Fubu radio.
Sara Rivers (formerly Sara Stokes)
Photo : Instagram/RealSaraRIvers
Sara Rivers, the R&B vocalist from Port Huron, Michigan, initially captured audiences with her soulful voice. Since Da Band‘s dissolution, Sara has continued to release her own music with her most recent release being a song titled, “Women’s Revolution” a month ago. Unfortunately, she’s also faced personal and legal challenges — including two domestic abuse disputes that left her serving 93 days in jail. Reportedly, Sara stabbed her husband in 2009 in front of their children and then got into a physical fight with him in 2014.
More recently, Sara filed a $60,000,000 lawsuit filed against Diddy, alleging sexual harassment and an abusive work environment during her time on Making the Band2. The new court filings obtained by HipHopDX came just ahead of New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act’s “lookback window” coming to an end on Friday (Feb. 28).
Rivers has claimed that she suffered “extreme emotional distress impacting nearly every aspect of Plaintiff’s life and personal relationships” which she claims occurred while she was filming the show in 2002. She also says she endured “inhumane” treatment such as having her eating and sleeping schedules controlled, being forced to share a room with four men despite being married, doing unpaid manual labor, and being ridiculed for her appearance.
She also alleged that Diddy once “used his left hand to adjust collar of her jacket and ran his left hand across her breasts, while repeating the phrase ‘if she needs anything to let him know.’”
