In an interview with the Los Angeles Times (via NME) , Sting commented on the possibility of the classic "Every Breath You Take" (1983) being negatively impacted by the accusations against rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs , who sampled the track in "I'll Be Missing You" (1997).
The former frontman of The Police assured that despite the allegations, the legacy of the classic remains intact.
“I don’t know what happened [with Diddy]. But that doesn’t tarnish the music for me. It’s still my music,” he stated (via NME) .
The rapper is the target of accusations of sex trafficking, extortion, and transportation for prostitution.
Diddy is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, in the United States. If found guilty, he faces a sentence of 15 years in prison.
Sting x Diddy
In 2003, Sting commented on the use of samples without prior permission: "These guys just take your material, put it on a record, and deal with the legal issues later."
Years later, in a 2018 interview with the Breakfast Club , the British singer revealed that the rapper pays him $2,000 a day for the use of the song " Every Breath You Take" .
In April 2023, Diddy used the old Twitter account (now X) to claim he was paying $5,000 a day, but later retracted the statement, claiming it was a joke.
“I want everyone to understand that I was joking. That’s called being playful! Sting and I have been friends for a long time! He never charged me $3,000 or $5,000 a day for 'Missing You' . He probably makes more than $5,000 a day from one of the biggest songs in history,” he said.
I'll Be Missing You in tribute to Notorious BIG
In addition to being sampled by Diddy, the hit features Faith Evans . The song was released two months after the death of rapper Notorious BIG , as a tribute to the artist.
READ ALSO: Sting and his friendship and partnership with Chief Raoni
