Update 04/08/2023 3:58am:
Diddy has come forward to clarify things regarding the sample used from Sting's (as part of The Police) 1983 classic "Every Breath You Take" for his tribute to Biggie with the 1997 hit record "I'll Be Missing You."
While it was initially reported that Diddy admitted to paying Sting thousands of dollars a day for using the uncleared sample, he has since backtracked and claims to have been joking the whole time.
Diddy tweeted, "I want y’all to understand I was joking! It’s called being Facetious! Me and @OfficialSting have been friends for a long time! He never charged me $3K or $5K a day for Missing You. He probably makes more than $5K a day from one of the biggest songs in history."
Original 04/06/2023 10:13am:
Diddy famously sampled Sting's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take" in his 1997 hit "I'll Be Missing You," which Sting addressed in a 2018 interview with The Breakfast Club. When asked if Diddy has to pay him $2,000 a day for using the uncleared sample, Sting told the hosts, "Yes. For the rest of his life."
A Twitter account recently reposted Sting's interview, catching the attention of Diddy, who replied, "Nope. 5K a day. Love to my brother @OfficialSting."
In his interview, Sting added that he and Diddy are "very good friends now," and he also called "I'll Be Missing You" a "beautiful version of that song." The song paid tribute to the tragic death of The Notorious B.I.G., and featured Faith Evans, Biggie's former wife and mother of their son, C.J. Wallace.
