Source: Christopher Polk / Getty
The cost of a sample from one of British singer Sting’s most popular hits is costing Diddy $5,000 a day, the mogul recently revealed online in response to a viral video.
A clip from the singer-songwriter’s appearance on The Breakfast Club in 2018 resurfaced and went viral, in which Charlemagne Tha God asked Sting if Diddy shells out $2,000 a day to him for sampling “Every Breath You Take” from The Police without permission. “Yeah,” Sting replied. “For the rest of his life.” The Bad Boy Records founder saw the clip on Wednesday (April 5th) and corrected the record by quote-tweeting it and saying: “Nope. 5K a day. Love to my brother @OfficialSting!”
Diddy’s declaration surprised many online, but much of the background behind it is well-established. The sample was heavily used in “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute song for his friend and Bad Boy Records artist The Notorious B.I.G. who was shot and killed in Los Angeles in 1997. The song, which featured Biggie’s widow Faith Evans and 112, would go on to win a Grammy Award and be number one on Billboard’s Hot 100. Sting would even join Diddy, Fatih and 112
Diddy would be sued by Sting for not seeking clearance in 2002, and the singer would go on to win 100% of the royalties. In the interview with The Breakfast Club, Sting would say that Diddy eventually asked for permission “after the fact” and stated: “We’re very good friends now.” By some estimates, the daily amount would total a payment of $1,825,000 a year and $47,325,000 to date since the publication date of May 7th, 1997. Sting has since sold his songwriting catalog to the Universal Music Group in a deal estimated at $300 million which took place last February, which does include “Every Breath You Take,” meaning that the group would potentially receive most of the royalty payment going forward.
Sting had previously spoken about the situation in a Rolling Stone interview in 2003. “Those guys just take your s–t, put it on a record, and deal with the legality later,” he said. “Elton John told me, “You gotta hear [“I’ll Be Missing You”], you’re gonna be a millionaire!” I said, “I am a millionaire!” He said, “You’re gonna be a millionaire twice over!”
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