The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards), no dispute found — Rodgers’ own account of writing it with the gay community in mind is documented, and its later sampling in The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” is noted factually.
Quick Facts
Released1980
AlbumDiana
GenreDisco, Funk, R&B, Post-Disco
LabelMotown Records
ProducerNile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Recorded atPower Station, New York City
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Motown; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Famously sampled throughout The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” (1997); part of this batch’s Rodgers/Edwards thread.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same album, “Diana” (this batch)
Same songwriters/producers, Rodgers & Edwards (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Written with the gay community in mind
Nile Rodgers has confirmed writing the song specifically with the gay community in mind — after seeing multiple drag queens made up as Diana Ross at a New York club, he realized a song titled “I’m Coming Out” for her would carry real symbolic power, comparable to James Brown’s “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud).” No lyrics reproduced.
Stereogum · read it →
The Biggie sample and two posthumous #1s
The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” (1997, feat. Puff Daddy and Mase), released after Biggie’s murder, samples this song throughout — a two-week Hot 100 #1 and Biggie’s second posthumous #1 (after “Hypnotize”), making him the only artist with two posthumous #1s. (Neither Biggie song is in this catalogue yet, so this is noted here rather than cross-linked.)
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
Sampled on Biggie’s “Mo Money Mo Problems”
Covers
1997
First flip
Big names who used itThe Notorious B.I.G.
Who to Contact
CO
Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards (Motown)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 21)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass