Diddy Pays Sting $5K Per Day For ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ Sample
Diddy has Sting on his payroll. Well, not quite. But ever since the rap mogul took the Police’s 1983 hit “Every Breath You Take” (written by Sting) and used it on his “I’ll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans back in 1997, the U.K. musician has been cashing in $5K per day from the rapper.
“I’ll Be Missing You” was created as a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. after his sudden death in 1997. The record ended up becoming a staple song in Diddy’s catalog. The song spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. However, since the rapper only asked for Sting’s sample after the song was released, he’s had to cough up some bands ever since.
In 2018, The Police frontman said he receives $2,000 a day from Diddy. However, a clip resurfaced on Twitter this week that caused some buzz. Diddy responded to the original interview clip and clarified Sting receives a whopping $5,000 a day instead.
“Nope. 5K a day. Love to my brother @OfficialSting,” Diddy wrote with the attached 2018 interview.
Sting spoke about the illegal use of sampling and how the consequences of Diddy’s actions got him a huge payday.
“Those guys just take your s—, put it on a record, and deal with the legality later,” Sting said in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2003. “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!’ I put a couple of my kids through college with the proceeds, and me and P. Diddy are good pals still.”
