No stranger to speaking his truth, Bobby Brown said he isn’t a fan of Britney Spears‘ cover of his 1988 hit single “My Prerogative.” Spears’ cover served as the single to her first greatest hits album, “Greatest Hits: My Prerogative,” in 2004.
“Britney Spears butchered ‘My Prerogative,’” Brown told Shannon Sharpe on the latter’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast.”
Sharpe had asked Brown what he believed was the best use of sampling from another artist using his music. “I don’t think they did it justice,” Brown said in response, adding, “I don’t think they really did justice to any of the samples that they have done to my songs.” At this point, Brown referenced Spears, adding that her cover of his 80s single “was a butchering.”
“Teddy Riley produced it, but that was a butchering that I- I couldn’t take it,” Brown said. “I cleared it only because it was Britney Spears and I was thinking… Teddy Riley is doing it too, so you know.”
Brown explained this was a lesson to him to listen to samples before clearing or allowing others to use his music. “I gotta hear it [in order for it to be cleared] because you don’t know what these kids will say these days. These kids say some shit that… you don’t want your song associated with it.”
Released in the midst of Spears’ hiatus, “Greatest Hits: My Prerogative” was introduced with this cover, which differs from the original version with added synthesizers, drums and a modern R&B flow. Spears also switches up the pronouns to be from a female’s perspective and included a sultry introduction where she says, “People can take everything away from you / But they can never take away your truth / But the question is, can you handle mine?”
Compare the songs for yourself below.