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Ten minutes after 10 a.m. Friday, Sean “Diddy” Combs walked into the federal courtroom — the familiar one he sat in for his eight-week trial — one final time for his sentencing hearing. The music mogul hugged his attorneys, waved to his family sitting in the pews, and sat down for what would be a dramatic six-hour hearing that determined his fate for the next four years.

“I don't care about the fame or the money or making records or performing,” the award-winning rapper declared in his first remarks to the court. But by that point, his legions of fans, both inside and outside the courthouse, had already been presented with a show — the last act of his farewell tour. I had a prime seat.

The sentencing hearing consisted of multiple speakers, a high-production video, guest stars, and concluded with the headliner himself. Emotions were running high and the drama was in full force; the day was filled with tears, gasps, and palpable anxiety.

Even three months after the blockbuster trial ended with his conviction on