Here’s How Much Diddy Pays Sting Per Day for “I’ll Be Missing You” Sample

Diddy says that he pays $5,000 a day to Sting for the un-cleared sample from "Every Breath You Take."

Every money move Diddy takes, Sting will be watching him. A 2018 clip from The Breakfast Club resurfaced on social media this week, where Sting and Shaggy were promoting their collaborative album 44/876. During the interview, Sting was questioned about whether Diddy pays him $2,000 per day “for the rest of his life” in royalties for the sample of 1983 The Police song “Every Breath You Take” on Diddy, Faith Evans and 112’s 1997 collaboration “I’ll Be Missing You.” Per year, the amount totals $1.8 million.

The 71-year-old shared that he was asked to sample the song only after “I’ll Be Missing You” was released. "We're very good friends now," Sting said in the clip. "It was a beautiful version of that song."

However, Diddy went to Twitter to confirm that the amount was $3,000 more, tweeting that he pays $5,000 a day in royalties.

In 2003, Sting discussed how he initially made $730,000 yearly for the sample, saying, “Those guys just take your shit, put it on a record, and deal with the legality later.”

He added, “Elton John told me, ‘You gotta hear it … 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 Diddy are good pals still.”

“I’ll Be Missing You” served as a tribute to late rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was killed at 24 years old in Los Angeles months prior to the song’s release. Sting would perform the song with Diddy, Faith Evans, and 112 at the 1997 Grammy Awards, and in the same year, the No Way Out track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.