Like a Wide-Eyed Kid in the Candy Store "A lot of people thought I couldn't do it—that I was too much of a character to become the mayor. I think because of the show, I came into the campaign with a little bit more exposure and with a lot more interest. I felt like a wide-eyed kid in the candy store, looking at all the stuff they were going to open up to me. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I knew there was something there, and I wanted it." And while he didn't have the TV personality he would have preferred for being a public official—as he proved with his debate performances, he really does have a good sense of humor—he still managed to leave an impression on a lot of the people who watched. "What really got my attention were the people who said they voted for him because of _The Sopranos._ " Which is a lot of people. "You know, you hear something once, and it sticks in your mind, and then you see a clip on TV, and it plays in your mind and becomes part of who you are. That's the case with me—and every day I hear stories that remind me of that period of time." In fact, one of the proudest memories he has is talking to a group of eighth graders who had never seen _The Sopranos._ "I said, 'Anybody know what HBO is?' They looked at me funny. Then one of them piped up and said, 'Is that that show about people fighting?' And I said, 'You got it!' " And they got the joke, and the fact that the guy who was now the new mayor was still a kid from Jersey. They are probably the kids who should be in eighth grade in 2006. And though as the mayor he could spend all night writing checks for people who were never going to pay them back, he decided he would do the right thing by these kids. So on the day after Thanksgiving he stopped his car, picked up some of his eight hundred pounds of food, and gave it to these kids. "I went through my whole campaign making sure I got in front of the camera when I wasn't doing something embarrassing. And those kids didn't know who I was. But they were in a class that, when it came to the class election, they were outvoted. And that was a very sad moment. So I went to every class that I could, and I gave away that food. I know that might sound stupid—some guy like me giving food away to eighth graders—but I just don't think you can put a price on the kind of impact I had on these kids' lives." In this case, and despite his being the mayor, he really didn't have to do much. "I mean, it's not like we asked for the gift of a lifetime—we didn't ask to get a full-size refrigerator with all that stuff that was in it. But because of this whole TV thing I did, a lot of the kids recognized me, and they told me about their families. They were able to say, 'Dad, look, he came to this school and brought us food. We'll always remember him. If he'd had power or money, he would have made it all the way to the top.' " It also makes the young boy's campaign cry a little easier for him to deal with. ## Nahhh ### Puff Daddy ### October 2004 For as much as he likes to talk about his childhood, and what he wishes he had been able to do and how much he wished his mother had let him stay in school, you never get the sense that he is just a mama's boy or is afraid to make his own way in the world. Puff Daddy has worked at a lot of jobs and, as the boss, he doesn't pull punches. In 2005, when he and Sean Combs became the biggest power couple in rap—what some in the media refer to as the marriage of New York's nightlife, you know, from Sex, Money, and Videotape—he was asked how it felt to be the boss and have his new girlfriend at his side. "It feels good to have her at my side," he said, referring to actress/dancer/model Jennifer Lopez. "We look good together. This is gonna be like 'Dancing with the Stars,' but with more sex appeal." In this one interview, Puff was able to talk about many things. He addressed the fact that he had been shot. "I'm just happy to still be alive," he said. "That's what matters." He was asked about the death of Michael Jackson. "Michael [Jackson] is the most amazing, and I don't believe he died. I know there's gonna be so many theories out there, but I think he was murdered. I believe he died from the trauma. How are you going to take one of the most famous entertainers in the world and not have a real investigation after three years? "I'm not trying to point the finger at anybody. I have no knowledge as far as who did it. Michael and his family were like my family. I love him. He changed the world of music. But his name alone would still be alive if it were me. And it's very tragic." In the two months since that interview he had been named the "most eligible bachelor" by _People._ Some of it, of course, had to do with the fact that he had been in rehab for drug and alcohol problems. Though he was clearly not happy being that label, he didn't really say much about it. He said that he was doing what he always did—which is make music. But he admitted that life was a bit tough. "You can say it wasn't like I wanted it. I just wanted to work and make some records. I just never thought it was gonna be like this." He continued, "I was not in a great state of mind. But it's part of the game. And it's gonna happen, so what you gonna do?" It's important to point out that in his own neighborhood it is said that Puff Daddy is the guy you want to hang out with, not the one you want to shoot up. So his admission that he is taking steps to get his life in order is important for young people. Not that he's a role model; no one can be that. But, because of his fame, what he says in any forum becomes a lot more important than anyone else. He understands the power of being in the spotlight. He says the best things about people and about being in love. He recognizes how hard it is for some people to try to rise above their situation, and in that sense, he is just like all of us. Because of that recognition, in this interview, when he talks about being with his new girlfriend, he knows that millions of people are listening. And that's the key to this conversation. He could have just been trying to get some more publicity for his records or for the launch of his new clothing line. But he doesn't do that. He tries to tell the truth as he sees it and he doesn't hesitate to admit when he makes a mistake. But he always has one eye on the audience and the other eye on what he wants to say. When it is time to give people a moment of recognition, he does so without hesitation. "I remember watching him when I was on _All That Jazz,_ and seeing the way he was dressed and trying to find myself in that situation, I tried to get a little bit of that. I never thought I was a gangster, but I tried to understand it, because I wanted to be him. It was a beautiful thing to me. "I know [Michael Jackson] died from trauma, but if I could speak to Michael Jackson's spirit, I would ask him why he died? That would be the first question, why you left us? When you left us, you took away so many talented, brilliant minds. You left a lot of us who would be doing a lot of stuff. We would have been able to give back. You left so many of us without your music, without your songs. I know that there are so many people who loved him and loved his music and loved what he did for the world. "All these young kids say 'He was the most amazing, the greatest entertainer,' and they will tell you what it meant to them, what it meant to them when they heard the songs. I think of myself, and how I would like to play the Michael Jackson records. It's sad he's not here. Even if he was here and I could ask him why he did what he did, and where he was, it would be a nice thing to say." And it is the things he said in that interview that made many people feel that he understood what it was like to grow up on the streets of his neighborhood, to be a kid in the shadows and to feel like you just want someone to stop and give you a break. But those people are the ones who are the biggest fans of what he does, who understand his words in a way that others who have never walked down the street in the projects or the ghetto might not. It is a combination of things—his voice and the words he uses, his own story and the story that young people can relate to. But for anyone looking to have something