Bobby Brown regrets letting Britney Spears take on one of his signature hits.
The R&B and New Jack Swing icon recently appeared on Club Shay Shay where he expressed his dislike for Spears’ 2004 rendition of his 1988 track, “My Prerogative.” The original song was featured on Brown’s second album, Don’t Be Cruel.
About 17 minutes into the interview below, Sharpe questioned whether Brown would “need to hear” a song that samples his work.
“Yes, I got to hear it. Gotta hear it,” he replied. “Because you don’t know what these kids will say these days. These kids will say some shit that you know you don’t want your song associated with.”
Bobby Brown stated that no musician who’s sampled his work has properly honored his music, with Spears being the worst offender.
“Britney Spears butchered ‘Prerogative.’ “Teddy Riley produced it, but that was a butchering that, you know … I couldn’t take it.”
Brown mentioned he originally approved the sample, thinking Spears would do “My Prerogative” justice. “But I felt it was a butchering,” Brown maintained.
In 2018, Spears launched a fragrance called ‘Prerogative,’ but Club Shay Shay isn’t the first place Brown has voiced his disapproval of her cover. Back in 2005, Brown told New York Magazine that he “loved” Spears’ videos, but his appreciation ended there.
“Why try to fix something that ain’t broke? That’s what I say,” he remarked. “But I’m grateful someone covered a song of mine. The check wasn’t bad either.”
