I'll Be Missing You
"I'll Be Missing You" is a tribute song by Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) and Faith Evans, featuring the R&B group 112. It was released in May 1997 as the second single from Puff Daddy’s debut album No Way Out and honors Notorious B.I.G., Evans’s husband, who was murdered in March 1997.
The track uses a prominent sample from The Police’s 1983 song "Every Breath You Take" and includes an interpolated chorus sung by Faith Evans. It also incorporates elements from the 1929 hymn "I'll Fly Away" and features a spoken intro over a choral arrangement of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
The music video, directed by Hype Williams, was filmed in Chicago. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It spent 11 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in many other countries, becoming one of the best-selling singles of 1997.
Legally, Sting of The Police sued over the use of the sample and ultimately received 100% of the song’s royalties; the parties later reconciled and even performed the song together at the MTV Video Music Awards. Combs initially wanted Jay-Z to write the track but he declined and suggested Sauce Money instead.
Reception was mixed: some critics praised it as a dignified tribute, while others criticized its sentimentality or use of the sample. Forbes ranked it #43 on their list of The 50 Best Songs of the 1990s in 2024.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:27 (CET).