By KBC Associate :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/bobby-brown-britney-spears-041625-2-b3fbba64ca0d4eeb86946af768bdf014.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Bobby Brown Says Britney Spears ‘Butchered’ Her 2004 Cover of ‘My Prerogative’")
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but not for Bobby Brown.
During an April 16 appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast Club Shay Shay, the rapper revealed that he did not like Britney Spears‘ cover of his 1988 song “My Prerogative.”
Sharpe, 56, asked Brown, 56 what artist did the best job sampling his music. “I don’t think they did justice,” Brown began. “I don’t think they really did justice to any of the samples that they have done to my songs.”
“Britney Spears butchered ‘My Prerogative,’ ” Brown continued. “Teddy Riley produced it. But that was a butchering. I couldn’t take it.”
Sharpe argued that Brown had cleared it, to which the singer countered that he cleared it because he thought Spears, 43, was going to “wow” him.
Frank Micelotta/Getty
A music industry source tells PEOPLE of Brown’s recent comments, “He’s looking for press, but that’s his prerogative.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Spears for comment.
Fans online disagreed with Brown’s take on Spears’ cover of the song, defending Spears’ synth-heavy sampling of the contemporary R&B song.
“Bobby Brown really said Britney Spears butchered Prerogative despite him clearing the song. I DISAGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY,” one fan wrote on X.
Another said, “Listen, I get it. I would also be mad if someone did a cover of my song and did it so much better than I did that everyone thought my song was theirs 🤷♂️.”
Soul Train via Getty
One user attributed their knowledge of the song being from Spears. “I personally only ever knew Bobby Brown’s My Prerogative because of Britney’s cover, and my parents played a s— of ton of 80s while I was growing up …” Others agreed.
“Ngl Britney Spears’ version was so fire most didn’t realize it was a cover 🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️,” another fan said.
Ultimately, many Spears fans defended her take on the song. “Bobby Brown can say all the crap he wants. But Britney left no crumbs when it came to her cover of My Prerogative. I prefer her version over his original version,” someone else posted.
Club Shay Shay
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Spears has previously put her spin on other musicians’ songs, adding her distinctive flair. She covered Sonny and Cher’s song “The Beat Goes On,” along with The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
Most recently in 2022, she collaborated with Elton John on the song “Hold Me Closer,” which features the chorus of his classic “Tiny Dancer.”