From Diddy to R. Kelly: TK Kirkland mentions rappers who got rich young and were “destroyed” by their egos

TK Kirkland has recently mentioned the names of those rappers who became wealthy at a young age, claiming that their lives took a negative turn allegedly due to their egos. TK made the claims while appearing in the latest episode of Club Shay Shay on July 2, 2025.

The comedian and businessman said on the podcast that the mindset of the entire world changed with the arrival of hip-hop, as many people believed that they could become successful overnight. TK Kirkland further said that it can be a problem for anyone if they become rich in their 20s and 30s.

“Make sure you keep it in the 40s and 50s. Here’s the curse. When I saw the R. Kellys, the Puffy Combs... most young singers and rappers, who got rich in their 20s, it created ego, and the ego all came back to bite them in their a** when they became a man,” Kirkland added.

TK Kirkland told host Shannon Sharpe that there were a lot of personalities who were able to become successful in the later phase of their lives, having earned it through hard work.

Kirkland referred to the same people, saying that their “character, respect, honor” also helped them to get a lot of success. The podcast host mentioned that these three qualities can hardly be spotted in anyone nowadays, and continued:

“That’s why we have the issues that we have from Suge to Puffy to R. Kelly, right? Because their ego got in the way and it destroyed them. And I’ve seen even... when people’s hustling and they came into money, it messed up their ego and destroyed them.”

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TK Kirkland seemingly had some advice for all those who are planning to become rich

As mentioned, the Strays star said on the new episode of Club Shay Shay that people like R. Kelly and Diddy ended up destroying themselves due to their ego. He seemingly addressed those people who aimed to become wealthy in the future, referring to the personalities he spoke about in the interview.

TK Kirkland said that people need to take their time if that is what is required, in case they are planning to become rich, saying:

“If you take your time, you may not seem like you could do it now, but one day you will be 60 something years old. And if you take care of yourself, you won’t be a fat old slob or old guy. You’ll still have some type of health, right?”

Shannon Sharpe also shared his opinion during the conversation, saying that if people followed what Kirkland was saying, they could hope to reach the age of 60. Sharpe added that it is something that cannot be promised, and Kirkland agreed to the same. In addition, Shannon was heard saying:

“Everybody got a appointment they can’t reschedule. You just don’t know what it is.”

TK Kirkland said in his response that people have the option to “extend” the time until when they might stay alive by avoiding health issues.

Apart from being active as a comedian, Kirkland has also been a writer on projects such as BET’s Comicview and Laffapalooza. He was also an executive producer of Are There Any Questions?.