Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea said July 8 that even though he played on Young MC’s hit song “Bust a Move,” the period marked a low point in his life.
A Twitter user asked Flea about a pair of pants adorned with stuffed animals which he sported in the music video for the 1989 song. The 60-year-old bassist revealed they were stolen during a robbery on his new house and car, Ultimate Classic Rock (UCR) reported.
they were stolen from the trunk of my car along with my bad ass leather jacket. i had just moved into a nice house for the first time in my life and got robbed on the first night https://t.co/1FL4ee4NK7
— Flea (@flea333) July 8, 2023
Flea previously told Bass Player Magazine in 1996 that he only received a $200 payout for his work on “Bust a Move” despite the song’s huge success, per UCR.
“The bass line I wrote ended up being a major melody of the tune, and I felt I deserved songwriting credit and money because it was a No. 1 hit. They sold millions of records, and I got $200!” he said, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Florida Drummer Got So Mad At Former Bandmate He Allegedly Threw Molotov Cocktail Into His Living Room)
The bassist said his attorney at the time pushed for a greater lump sum from the record company, Delicious Vinyl. However, the company allegedly responded by remarking that it had told Flea exactly what to play, which the rocker refutes. (RELATED: Red Hot Chili Peppers Achieve Major Feat By Releasing Two No. 1 Albums In A Year)
Flea said that he had learned from the experience, which occurred around the same time his band released their album “Mother’s Milk” from 1989.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers has made 2023 their most successful year to date by grossing “north of $200 million,” according to CBS News.