Diddy used the famous Police song written by Sting for his own hit, “ I'll Be Missing You ”, in 1997.
During an interview given to Los Angeles TimesSting spoke about the Police hit “ Every Breath You Take », taken from their 1983 album, Synchronicityand the song's connections to Diddy, aka Sean Combs. For the bassist, this song still belongs to him, even after Diddy sampled the song on “ I'll Be Missing You » in 1997.
When asked if the controversy surrounding the rapper affected the way he viewed this 1980s classic, Sting replied: “ No, I mean, I don't know what happened (with Diddy). But for me, that doesn't detract from the song. It's still my song “. Sting added that fans always love hearing this track.
Sean Combs is currently at the center of a sex trafficking case as well as at least a dozen new lawsuits filed against him following his arrest in September. Last week, his lawyers filed a motion asking the Court to “ immediately restrict out-of-court statements from potential witnesses and their attorneys » while the Court examines the arguments of both parties.
In the past, Sean Combs claimed to pay Sting $5,000 a day for the use of the song on ” I'll Be Missing You “, but the disgraced musician later clarified that he was joking: ” Me and @OfficialSting have been friends for a long time! He never charged me $3,000 or $5,000 a day for Missing You, he wrote on X in April 2023. He probably makes over $5,000 a day from one of the biggest songs in history. »
The song “ I'll Be Missing You “, which featured Faith Evans, was a tribute to Notorious B.I.G. and became a hit for Diddy. The rapper only asked Sting for permission for the sample after the song's release. Both Diddy and Sting have addressed the issue in the past.
In an interview given to WECB In 2003, Sting confirmed that the sample had made him a lot of money: ” These guys take your stuff, put it on a disc and deal with the legal side later. Elton John said to me: “You have to listen ( “I'll Be Missing You“), you’re going to be a millionaire!” I answered him: “I am already a millionaire” and he said to me: “You will be a millionaire twice!”. That money put two of my children through college, and P. Diddy and I are still good friends. »
