Diddy says he pays Sting $5k a day for ‘Every Breath You Take’ sample
You can’t put a price on love, but Love pays a price to to honor the late Notorious B.I.G.
In 1997, Diddy, who legally changed his middle to Love, wrote “I’ll Be Missing You” as an homage to the rapper, who was killed in a drive-by shooting.
The song’s chorus samples the 1983 Police song “Every Breath You Take.” In a 2018 interview with The Breakfast Club, Police lead singer Sting said Diddy pays him $2,000 a day for the rights to use that sample.
After a clip of the Sting interview was tweeted this week, Diddy — aka Sean John Combs, aka Sean Love Combs, aka Sean Puffy Combs, aka Puff Daddy, aka Puffy, aka P. Diddy, aka Diddy — retweeted it with a clarification.
“Nope. 5K a day. Love to my brother @OfficialSting!”
For Sting, that’s what financiers call “passive income,” which he earns with minimal effort.
For those without a calculator handy, that income is about $1.8 million a year.
About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
