Puff_daddy_ill_be_missing_you_every_breath_you_... May 2026

The track is built entirely around the iconic guitar riff from 1983 hit, "Every Breath You Take." While the sample perfectly captured the somber, haunting tone Diddy was looking for, there was one major problem: the sample wasn't cleared before the song was released .

Released just two months after Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace was fatally shot in March 1997, the track was Puff Daddy’s way of processing the loss of his best friend. Featuring Biggie’s widow, , and the R&B group 112 , the song was a massive commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and staying there for 11 weeks. The Famous Sample puff_daddy_ill_be_missing_you_every_breath_you_...

Sting, the primary songwriter for The Police, eventually sued for 100% of the song's publishing royalties. In a twist that has become industry legend: The track is built entirely around the iconic

The Song That Cost a Fortune: The Story of "I’ll Be Missing You" The Famous Sample Sting, the primary songwriter for

In the history of pop music, few songs carry as much emotional weight—or as high a price tag—as Puff Daddy ’s 1997 tribute, What began as a raw, grieving letter to the late Notorious B.I.G. evolved into a global anthem for loss, but it also became one of the most famous cautionary tales in music copyright history. A Tribute Born from Tragedy