Bobby Brown says Britney Spears “butchered” her cover of his song ‘My Prerogative’.
Britney, 43, recorded her own version of Bobby’s 1988 single for her greatest hits album ‘Greatest Hits: My Prerogative’ in 2004 but Bobby admitted he hates the new track.
During a chat on the ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast, Bobby, 56, was asked by Shannon Sharpe what he thought was the best example of another artist sampling his music and he replied: “I don’t think they did it justice, I don’t think they really did justice to any of the samples that they have done to my songs.”
He then went on to reference Britney’s cover and said: “Britney Spears butchered ‘My Prerogative’.
“Teddy Riley produced it, but that was a butchering that I- I couldn’t take it. I cleared it only because it was Britney Spears and I was thinking… Teddy Riley is doing it too, so you know.”
Brown went on to warn others to always listen to covers before clearing them for use.
He said: ““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 s*** that… you don’t want your song associated with it.”
Brown co-founded the boyband New Edition, at age 12, in 1981 before going solo. ‘My Prerogative’ features on his second solo studio album ‘Don’t Be Cruel’. After recording sessions were completed, Brown and his producer Gene Griffin felt something was “missing” from the record.
‘My Prerogative’ was written by Brown as a response to the criticism he received for his departure from New Edition. He explained the song was about making decisions in one’s life and not caring about other people’s opinions..