Sting wrote the famous and iconic “Every Breath You Take” back when he was the bassist for The Police in 1983. But as it turns out, even his song couldn’t escape Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ negative influence. Diddy, who has allegedly committed decades of sexual assault (among other crimes) in Hollywood, sampled Sting’s song in his 1997 song, “I’ll Be Missing You.” Sting, however, maintains his stance that Diddy didn’t ruin the song.
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sting was asked about the matter, and whether Diddy’s alleged crimes ‘tainted’ the way Sting thinks about his song. His answer was fairly straightforward.
“No. I mean, I don’t know what went on. But it doesn’t taint the song at all for me. It’s still my song.”
Sting knows that people still “absolutely” love his song. It’s worth noting that “Every Breath You Take” is about a suffocatingly possessive lover though it can also have other meanings. Sting notably wrote it during the downfall of his first marriage.
“Every Breath You Take” also has some creepy undertones to it and could easily be about jealousy, surveillance, and a stalker’s point of view. So when Diddy’s alleged crimes surfaced, people were quick to point out how Diddy had a much more depraved take on Sting’s song, with some humorous jabs, of course.
When it was originally released in 1997, Diddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You” was meant to be a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) who was murdered earlier during the year. It even featured Biggie Smalls’ widow.
It’s Not the First Controversy About the Song
Diddy once claimed that he paid Sting $5,000 per day for using “Every Breath You Take” as a sample on his “I’ll Be Missing You” song. He later retracted it and said it was a facetious joke. Diddy also claimed that he and Sting have been friends for a long time.
However, Diddy apparently didn’t secure legal approval for the sample before he released “I’ll Be Missing You.” Sting sued Diddy afterward and won, where he would receive 100 percent of the song royalties with payments until the year 2053. Eventually, Sting and Diddy reconciled in September 1997 and even performed the song live.
With that said, Sting admitted in 2003 that the sample and its complementary copyright lawsuit made him quite a lot of money and that he was able to put two of his kids through college with the proceeds alone. He was still ‘good pals’ with Diddy from that point. It’s not clear what their status is right now.
