Diddy … starring Derek Luke?

Derek Luke, who plays Diddy in the upcoming film Notorious, said he almost turned down the chance to play Notorious B.I.G.’s best friend and producer.

"I wasn’t interested in the part, because I felt like this was Big’s movie, not Puff’s," Derek told MTV News. "I was saying I would love to play Puff from scratch; I would love to play him from start to finish."

Thankfully, Derek said he just couldn’t walk a way from a role like this because of his love for music, hip-hop specifically. “But I do think Puff needs his own joint,” Derek said.

Although no such project is actually in the works, Derek says he would jump at the chance to be involved. But he says he wouldn’t bring more of the same if he played Sean John the second time around.

“It would be a totally different energy if I played a full-length Sean Combs picture,” he said.

Notorious hits theaters January 16.

– Sonya Eskridge

Photo courtesy of Concrete Loop.