The music business can be lucrative and few know that better than Sean "Diddy" Combs. He's sold millions of records, owns a record label that has produced others and has a lengthy career as a recording artist.
But even a savvy music mogul like Combs can make an expensive mistake. In 1997, Combs performed on and released the single 'I'll Be Missing You," an ode to fallen Bad Boy Records artist Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace who was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting earlier that year.
The song uses a sample from The Police's 1983 hit "Every Breath You Take," which was written by Sting, born Gordon Sumner. The problem is, Diddy didn't ask for permission to use the sample for his song, which became a huge hit.
When a 2018 radio interview with Sting from The Breakfast Club resurfaced this week, Sting is shown telling host Charlemagne the God that Diddy is still paying him for the song. Though the terms of the settlement haven't been publicly revealed it's likely because Sting was added as the songwriter and thus paid every time the song is played.
"Did he have to pay you $2,000 a day because he didn't have permission to sample "Every Breath You Take?" Charlemagne asked.
"Yes," Sting answered. "For the rest of his life." But Sting also said, "But we're good friends now."
When Diddy saw the clip, he corrected the amount speculated, tweeting the account that reposted it.
"Nope, 5K a day," Diddy tweeted back. "Love to my brother, Sting!"
Four years ago, rapper/songwriter Sauce Money who co-wrote the lyrics of the reconfigured song with Diddy told YouTube personality Vlad, "Sting probably still makes $2, 3 million dollars off that song."
ADVERTISEMENT
"Every Breath You Take," won two Grammys for The Police in 1983 and remains the band's biggest hit, staying at No. 1 for eight weeks. Diddy's version, "I'll Be Missing You" with vocalists 112 and Faith Evans, (Wallace's widow) went to No. 1 as well, staying there for 11 weeks. Diddy, Evans and 112 also won a Grammy for the song.
In 1997, Sting joined Diddy onstage to perform the song at the MTV Video Music Awards.