High oil prices are hitting everyone, including hip-hop moguls forced to ground their private jets to save on fuel.
After revealing on his video blog [1] (contains profanity) that two round trips from Los Angeles to New York on the his private jet cost him $200,000, the rap star, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who came in third on a Forbes list of top hip-hop earners [2], revealed he was grounding his private jet.
“Gas prices is too motherf---ing high. As you know, I do own my own jet and I have been having flying back and forth to
Combs pleaded with his “brothers and sisters” in oil producing countries to send him oil for his private jet.
“I want to give a shout out to all my Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters and all my brothers and sisters from all the countries that have oil. If you could all please send me some oil for my jet I would truly appreciate it,” he added. “But right now I am actually – can you believe it, I am actually flying commercial. That’s how high gas prices are, okay, so I feel you.”
Combs was also known for his 2004 “Vote or Die” campaign [3] and back in June he expressed his astonishment that presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama had received the nod from his party [4].
“I just thank God that I’m able to see this day,” he said. “I thank God I’m not dreaming. I thank God for all the people that fought for civil rights and put their lives on the line and even died for this day to happen.”
Combs chanted “Obama or die” [5] at the 2008 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards just weeks after he made those remarks.
Combs’ candidate, Obama was asked by CNBC Washington correspondent John Harwood on June 11 if high gas prices were a good thing [6]. The Democratic candidate didn’t object to the high gas prices, just the rate they increased.
“I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment,” Obama said. “The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing. But if we take some steps right now to help people make the adjustment, first of all by putting more money in their pockets, but also by encouraging the market to adapt to these new circumstances more rapidly, particularly U.S. automakers.”
CNBC’s Erin Burnett reported P. Diddy should have made enough to cover his jet fuel bill.
“If you’re wondering, he reportedly made a cool $35 million last year, but the $200,000 a couple times a month – too expensive,” Burnett said on CNBC’s August 28 “Street Signs.”