Sting Talks Diddy Sampling “Every Breath You Take”: “Still My Song”

Despite the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, “Every Breath You Take” remains pure – at least for the man who wrote it.

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times On Monday, November 11, Sting revealed that despite everything that had “gone down” with the disgraced music mogul – who famously included the Police’s 1983 hit in his and Faith Evans’ song “I’ll “Be Missing You” from 1997 – the original title belongs to him.

When asked if Combs’ current situation has influenced his perspective on the classic ’80s song, the 73-year-old police songwriter and bassist responded pretty bluntly: “No.”

“I mean, I don’t know what happened [with Diddy]”, he added. “But for me it doesn’t detract from the song at all. It’s still my song.”

Plus, if the L.A. Times The interviewer pointed out that people still enjoy listening to “Every Breath You Take,” adding, “Absolutely.”

The rock legend also gave insight into his overall sampling philosophy while discussing a more recent collaboration, 2023’s “Dreaming” with Pink and Marshmello, which uses one of his solo hits, “Fields of Gold.”

When asked why he thinks his music is attracting younger musicians, Sting told the magazine he had no idea – but he didn’t mind.

“I have no idea, but if someone wants to interpolate or whatever it’s called, I never object because I always learn something about the song that I didn’t know or expect,” the rocker said. “And I get paid, so why not? It keeps them informed.”

“Songs are living organisms – you have to keep breathing life into them or giving them new bedfellows,” he concluded.

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Combs – who not only sampled Sting on “I’ll Be Missing You” but also performed with the rocker at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards – has been in prison since his arrest in September on racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation sexual battery charges of prostitution.

The 55-year-old music mogul was taken into custody on September 16 after a nearly year-long investigation that included home searches and multiple complaints against him of sexual abuse and rape.

Diddy was charged with three counts and a judge rejected a $50 million bail request presented by his attorney. He is currently in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while awaiting trial and late last week filed a new bail application that has yet to be decided.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.