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You know the saying, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission?"
Well, take it from Diddy—it may be easier, but it could cost you... a lot.
Maybe.
With every breath he takes, Diddy claimed to be forking over money to Sting for sampling one of his songs in his 1997 hit "l'll Be Missing You."
For years the rumor has circulated that Diddy never asked for Sting's permission to sample the 1983 classic "Every Breath You Take."
In a resurfaced 2018 Breakfast Club clip, Charlamagne Tha God asked the Police frontman if there is any truth to the allegation Diddy has to pay him $2,000 a day for using the audio.
Sting replied:
"Yeah, for the rest of his life."
But he also added:
"We're very good friends, though."
\u201cDiddy reportedly pays $2,000 a day to the artist Sting for sampling his hit song \u201cI\u2019ll be Missing you\u201d dedicated to rapper Biggie Smalls without permission \u201cWe are very good friends now\u201d\u201d— Black Millionaires \u00ae (@Black Millionaires \u00ae) 1680701458
Diddy himself, though, had to add in his two cents three grand and clarify:
"Nope. 5k a day."
"Love to my brother @OfficialSting!"
"😎✊🏾🫶🏾"
\u201cNope. 5K a day. Love to my brother @OfficialSting! \ud83d\ude0e \u270a\ud83c\udfff\ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udfff\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
Although that might not be entirely true.
People on Twitter expressed their thoughts.
Many couldn't even comprehend a world in which $5k a day is fathomable.
\u201c@Diddy @OfficialSting Imagine waking up in the morning and owing someone $5k. Imagine owing $5k and being so rich it doesn't make you blink. I would be inconsolable. I'd be faking my own death.\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
\u201c@Diddy @OfficialSting This lowkey the biggest unintentional flex\u2026 if diddy can pay sting 5k forever \ud83d\udc40 puff money different\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
\u201c@TheNolaChick @Diddy @OfficialSting Seriously, this is a robbery\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
\u201c@TheNolaChick @Diddy @OfficialSting I can't imagine ever waking up to 5k in my bank account \ud83e\udd23\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
\u201c@TheNolaChick @Diddy @OfficialSting Not just 5K but 5k every Day. 1.8mil a year\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
\u201c@Diddy @OfficialSting 5k a day for the rest of your life! \ud83d\ude33\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680714932
But hold up.
Someone's calendar was off because April 1st was over a week ago.
Diddy returned to Twitter to set everyone straight.
The music mogul tweeted:
"I want y’all to understand I was joking! It’s called being Facetious!"
"Me and @OfficialSting have been friends for a long time! He never charged me $3K or $5K a day for Missing You."
"He probably makes more than $5K a day from one of the biggest songs in history."
"LOVE ❤️😂🙏🏿💫⚡️✨"
\u201cI want y\u2019all to understand I was joking! It\u2019s called being Facetious! Me and @OfficialSting have been friends for a long time! He never charged me $3K or $5K a day for Missing You. He probably makes more than $5K a day from one of the biggest songs in history.\n\nLOVE \u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udfff\ud83d\udcab\u26a1\ufe0f\u2728\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680884253
His reveal came too late for a number of news outlets who reported it as true.
\u201c@Diddy @OfficialSting @NME \ud83d\udc40 lol https://t.co/azaHvQRoNZ\u201d— LOVE (@LOVE) 1680884253
Oops!
Sting revealed to Rolling Stone in 2003 he learned of Diddy's song through Elton John.
"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 P. Diddy are good pals still."
The late rapper Juice WRLD also sampled a song of Sting's for his 2017 hit "Lucid Dreams."
Sting said the "beautiful interpretation" of his song "Shape of My Heart" will "put my grandkids through college."