DIDDY SAYS HIS FATHER'S MURDER IS WHAT INSPIRED HIM TO BE THE (BUSINESS) MAN HE IS TODAY.

Multi-media mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs says he was driven to become a successful businessman to avoid the same fate as his father, who was murdered when he was a child. Combs was just three years old when his dad Melvin, an associate of drug kingpin Frank Lucas, was shot dead in his car in 1972. And Combs, who now runs hip-hop, fashion and fragrance empires, admits the tragic end to his father's life proved instrumental in shaping his desire to succeed. He says, "The greatest thing about the American dream is to be an American businessman, to take care of your family and make something happen. This is way more parallel to my life. I grew up on 145th Street and Lenox Avenue (in Harlem). I was afraid of getting hurt in the streets. My father was murdered when I was three. He was a street hustler. I just wanted to be somebody."

In related news, the Broadway actor is snapping back at those who tend to undermine and criticize his thespian skills. Combs claims he is determined to continuously improve as an actor as he prepares for both criticism and praise for his latest role in A Raisin In the Sun. "I wanna shock the world. People can say whatever they want about me as an actor, but I want them to see the growth."

The highly anticipated special three-hour television movie adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun, based on the play that inspired a generation, will air as an "ABC Premiere Event" on Monday at 8 p.m. eastern.
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