Former Death Row owner Suge Knight says Diddy would have used guns if they crossed paths in L.A.

Suge Knight has claimed that Sean Diddy Combs would have shot him had the two encountered each other at a Los Angeles diner in 2008, revealing the depth of their past rivalry. In a recent interview with TMZ, the former Death Row Records boss alleged that their feud had reached such a critical point that Diddy would have had no choice but to use a firearm if they had crossed paths in public. The revelation comes amid Diddys ongoing legal troubles, where federal prosecutors are attempting to build a racketeering case against the music mogul. Knights claims, while dramatic, are not part of the official trial proceedings. Despite the apparent relevance to prosecutors efforts to portray Diddy as the head of a criminal enterprise, Knight has not been called to testify. The near encounter reportedly took place in 2008 at Mels Drive-In, a popular Hollywood restaurant. Testimony from David James, Diddys former personal assistant, described a tense situation in which he and a bodyguard spotted Suge Knight while picking up cheeseburgers. Upon returning to Diddy, James said he found Cassie, Diddys former partner, visibly shaken and Diddy himself allegedly armed with three firearms. According to James, Diddy then switched vehicles and drove back toward Mels, though Knight had already left. The assistant testified that Diddy instructed him to circle the area in search of Knight. Knight, speaking to TMZ, implied that Diddys possession of multiple weapons pointed to a strong likelihood of violence, especially if drugs or alcohol had been involved. Though he refused to confirm whether he was armed during the Mels encounter, his response hinted at preparedness for confrontation. The feud between Knight and Diddy stretches back to the height of the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry of the 1990s, a violent era in hip-hop that culminated in the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. The latter was shot just blocks from Mels Drive-In. As the prosecution seeks to convict Diddy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Knights testimony might have provided dramatic reinforcement of claims that Diddy operated a criminal network. Yet, despite the potentially compelling nature of Knights account, federal prosecutors have opted not to bring him to the stand, leaving a key voice in hip-hops most notorious feud unheard in court.