Sean Combs called himself “the king” and used his power to force women to take drugs and have sex with male escorts for days while he watched, prosecutors claimed.

The rapper, 55, better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy, would record videos of days-long orgies he called “freak-offs” or “wild king nights” and blackmail his victims by threatening to release them if they did not do as he pleased, a court heard.

Combs would force his victims to “perform for hours and days and a time”, prosecutor Emily Johnson said in her opening statement at Manhattan federal court on Monday. If they upset him, he would “viciously” attack them, kicking them, stamping on their faces and dragging them by the hair.

Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could face life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

The case is expected to hinge on testimony from two of Combs’s ex-girlfriends, the singer Cassie Ventura and another witness referred to as “Jane”.

“They will tell you about some of the most painful experiences of their lives. The days they spent in hotel rooms, high on drugs, dressed in costumes to perform the defendant’s sexual fantasies,” Ms Johnson said.

Appearing in court for the first day of his criminal trial, Combs wore a white jumper and sat with his hands clasped together as he listened to the prosecution.