Not only for him, but I imagine for herself as well. While woke racists were busy dissing Combs for appropriating the music of a woman of color, Chapman was humming all the way to the bank. (This is not a criticism…she deserves every penny.) Profits in pop music accrue to the writer, not the singer, and since Chapman is the sole author and owns her publishing, by June of 2023 she had already earned $500K in royalties from Combs’ version. I can’t imagine how much she will continue to earn into perpetuity from this one cover alone. You’d think BLM would celebrate this fact, but they’re too ignorant to think clearly.

I first heard Chapman in the 80s when she was playing in the lesbian bars in Boston. She stood out even then. What’s amazing about her is that she always was, and still is, the same humble, soft spoken genius, an exemplar of the rule that sometimes “less is more.”.

It’s so heartwarming to see her recognized again as a great artist, and to partner with Combs for their mutual benefit. I apologize for feeling sentimental, but I see moments like this one as a beacon of hope cutting through the toxicity of identity politics. Truly a win-win.

More of same, please, before it’s too late.