Diddy Pays Sting $5K A Day For Sample
Diddy has verified that he pays a substantial sum for the use of The Police’s sample on his 1997 tribute to his late friend Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, titled “I’ll Be Missing You.”
A few years ago, Sting discussed the matter in an interview with the Breakfast Club, revealing that Diddy pays him $2,000 per day for sampling The Police’s 1983 hit single “Every Breath You Take” in his homage to Biggie.
On Wednesday (Apr. 6), a snippet of the interview resurfaced, capturing Diddy’s attention. He confirmed that he does indeed pay Sting a daily fee for the sample usage, but the amount is not $2,000, but more than twice that. “Nope. 5K a day,” Diddy tweeted, sharing the clip. Despite the daily four-figure royalty payments, Diddy and Sting maintain a positive relationship. “Love to my brother @OfficialSting,” Diddy added.
In 2018, Charlamagne Tha God questioned Sting about rumors that Diddy pays him $2k per day since he only requested permission to use the sample after releasing “I’ll Be Missing You.” Sting confirmed the payment, saying, “for the rest of his life.” He further clarified that Diddy asked for permission after the song had already been released. However, like Diddy, Sting harbors no resentment and considers the producer a good friend. “We’re very good friends now,” Sting said. “It was a beautiful version of that song.”
Diddy’s tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. was released in 1997, just months after Biggie’s murder on March 9th of the same year. “I’ll Be Missing You” held the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a record-breaking 11 weeks and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
