In a Lower Manhattan courtroom this week, Casandra Ventura, professionally known as Cassie, delivered compelling testimony in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, detailing allegations of abuse and control during their relationship.
Among the revelations was the use of aliases for hotel bookings tied to events described as “freak-offs”—drug-fueled sexual encounters involving escorts. Cassie testified that she used “Jackie Star”. In contrast, Combs used “Frank Black” or “Frank White,” a detail that has drawn attention due to its similarity to an alias famously adopted by The Notorious B.I.G.
Cassie’s testimony, which began on May 13, 2025, painted a picture of orchestrated events requiring significant planning. According to reports from The Washington Post and The New York Times, hotel reservations for these “freak-offs” were made under pseudonyms, including “Frank Black” for Combs. As noted by NBC News, she described how escorts were hired via Craigslist, with costs ranging from $1,500 to $6,000.
The alias “Frank White” carries deep significance in hip-hop, rooted in the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace. B.I.G. adopted “Frank White” in the early 1990s, inspired by the character from the 1990 film King of New York, portrayed by Christopher Walken.
In the film, Frank White is a drug kingpin who balances crime with community contributions—a narrative that echoes B.I.G.’s rise from Brooklyn’s streets. The alias appeared in tracks like “Big Poppa” and earned him the title “The King of New York” on The Source magazine’s cover in July 1995, as documented by Capital XTRA and Wikipedia.
Whereas “Frank White” and “Frank Black” sound similar, their applications differ markedly. Combs’s alias came in a courtroom context, as part of the charges laid out in the trial, while B.I.G.’s was an artistic selection heavy in filmic and symbolic reference. Regardless of their professional past—Combs was B.I.G.’s head at Bad Boy Records—nothing in the evidence from a courtroom indicates that “Frank Black” was a nod to “Frank White” directly.
AsDiddy’s case unfolds, Cassie’s account continues to shed light on charges brought against him, with the alias element adding drama. The resemblance to B.I.G.’s “Frank White” re-stirred interest in places where hip-hop’s legal and cultural stories intersect. Though the contexts of the aliases differ, the public’s fascination with them reiterates both celebrities’ sustained impact in the field.
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The still-ongoing trial guarantees more disclosures, but for now, “Frank Black” and “Frank White” exist as dramatic footnotes—one in testimony, the other in legacy.
