One thing about the music business is that it can cause artists to butt heads over money. Proper compensation in these creative industries is rare, labels grossly exploiting for years. Moreover, when you’re in a session with an artist, there’s the matter of crediting. If not properly credited, you can miss out on years’ worth of royalties. This initially seemed to be an issue for R&B legend Teddy Riley when working with fellow icon Keith Sweat on the classic “Make It Last Forever”.
During an appearance on the We in Miami Podcast, he claimed that he never received proper compensation when working with Sweat. Instead of receiving a portion of the record’s success, he was allegedly paid a flat fee of $1,500 with no royalties at all. “I’ve waited so long to tell my truth,” Teddy Riley said. “Because I let everybody tell their stories. And most of them are not the truth. Like, Keith Sweat and myself. Did you know I never got paid for the album? But my name is on there, right? So, somebody gonna pay.”
It didn’t take Keith Sweat long to reply, commenting on Instagram, “You produced, or we produced together?” Not long after, Riley walked back his comments and apologized for the claims.
Teddy Riley Apologizes to Keith Sweat for Claiming He Wasn’t Properly Paid for Work With Him
In a YouTube response video, the New Jack Swing pioneer apologized and said he didn’t mean to offend. Then he stressed that they built the iconic R&B song together and how it wouldn’t be possible without him. “Peace and blessings. I want to take this time to speak from the heart and clear the air,” Teddy Riley shared.
“I want to apologize to my brother, Keith Sweat. If anything that I said was taken the wrong way, or caused confusion or hurt to his family or to anyone, I apologize. That is not my intention. Keith and I, we built a culture. We built a sound, we built New Jack Swing. We are the pioneers of that. The bond that we have is bigger than anything.”
Teddy Riley isn’t averse to controversy and having to apologize for it at this point. During a February 2026 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he shared how he felt like people should forgive R. Kelly for all of his misdoings. Moreover, the producer mulled over the idea of working with him to release new music.
But once his fans took serious offense, he tried to clear everything up. “If my comments caused hurt, I sincerely apologize,” Teddy Riley told his followers on Instagram. “That was never my intention. I take seriously the impact that abuse and misconduct have had on survivors and their families. Their experiences matter, and they deserve to be acknowledged with care and respect.”
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