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---
title: Diddy Helped James Corden Win Rap Battle With Ashton Kutcher
description: James Corden and Ashton Kutcher faced off on &quot;Drop the Mic&quot; and Sean Diddy Combs called the winner
canonical: https://time.com/5309832/james-corden-ashton-kutcher-diddy/
author: Melissa Locker
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article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2018-06-13T15:24:10.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:53:23.234Z
og:title: Diddy Helped James Corden Make Drop the Mic History
og:description: Next level disses
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twitter:title: Diddy Helped James Corden Make Drop the Mic History
twitter:description: Next level disses
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltef99f1dfe96fd3f9/698932f77cdbac2480d5d25a/ashtonkutcherdiddyjamescordenrapbattle.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Diddy Helped James Corden Win a Rare Rap Battle Victory Against Ashton Kutcher

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by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Jun 13, 2018 3:24 PM UTC

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltef99f1dfe96fd3f9/698932f77cdbac2480d5d25a/ashtonkutcherdiddyjamescordenrapbattle.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Jun 13, 2018 3:24 PM UTC

James Corden has been waging wars against musicians and actors in a series of rap battles on _The Late Late Show_. On Tuesday night’s episode, he finally won.

In “Drop the Mic” Corden faces off in rap battles against the likes of Helen Mirren and Dr. Phil. In the face of such illustrious competition, Corden hadn’t been able to win a single battle—until last night when he got a little boost from Sean “[Diddy](http://time.com/5088366/diddy-new-name-love/)” Combs, who knows a thing or two about rap battles.

On Tuesday night’s episode, [Corden](http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736215/james-corden/) faced off against noted rapper Ashton Kutcher who wowed the judges by saying Corden looked like “the baby of Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump” and dropping a _Dude, Where’s My Car?_ reference into his rhymes. “People see me at valet, they say, ‘Look, it’s a star!’ People see you at valet, they say, ‘Dude, where’s my car?’” Kutcher spit.

While normally a pop culture reference of that caliber would guarantee a win, last night [Corden](http://time.com/4947964/james-corden-sean-spicer-response/) came prepared with a few movie and television references of his own, plucked straight out of Kutcher’s IMDB profile. “_Valentine’s Day_ and _New Year’s Eve_ are movies you fumbled, you ruined more holidays than a Trump-loving uncle,” Corden rapped. “You joined _Two and a Half Men_ when producers intervened, it’s the only time people thought, ‘Man I miss Charlie Sheen.’”

Corden finished Kutcher off with a brutal diss: “You invested all your money in [technology and apps](http://time.com/4984326/ashton-kutcher-email/). Hell, I’d do the same thing if I knew I couldn’t act.”


Reggie Watts was supposed to name the winner, but it was too close for one man alone to call, so he brought in a little back-up: Diddy. After calling it “one of the closest battles in The Late Late Show history” he couldn’t help but give Corden the win, but by “only half a point.”

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