(AllHipHop News) Kanye West has expressed his appreciation for the late, great Michael Jackson numerous times. The Chicago rhymer even referenced the King of Pop on tracks like “Slow Jamz” and “Don’t Like.”

According to Ye’s frequent collaborator Tony Williams, West is working to see his next studio album compete with MJ’s Thriller as one of the greatest albums of all time.

“We’re just focusing on making great records, and when I say great records, I mean not records that are pigeonholed into a certain genre, a certain style,” Williams told Complex. “We’re out to make a new Thriller – on that magnitude. Actually like the greatest album of all times.”

Kanye’s catalogue already includes some of the best reviewed albums of the last decade. His career average Metacritic rating is currently 80/100. According to the site, his best reviewed album is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (94) followed by College Dropout (87) and Late Registration (85).

Jackson’s Thriller has sold nearly 30 million copies in the U.S. alone. The album also won a record-breaking eight Grammys including the award for Album Of The Year – one of the most prestigious honors in the industry.

http://allhiphop.com/2014/09/15/tony-williams-says-kanye-west-is-attempting-to-make-the-next-thriller-poll/

[Edited 9/15/14 13:23pm]

Good for him.

But if he thinks he's shifting "Thriller" level copies in this day and age, he's crazier than I thought.

[Edited 9/15/14 13:24pm]

No such thing.

good luck with that no future album will ever have the same impact and success as Thriller.That's a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

SoulAlive said:

good luck with that no future album will ever have the same impact and success as Thriller.That's a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Exactly. These guys will hype up H2o.

So has almost every major star in music since 1983. It's a guaranteed impossibility but so long as he doesn't try so hard that the music sucks (like "Yeezus") and the album is great all around, that's all that matters.

I just hope Kanye realizes he's setting himself up for failure and undisputed disappointment by setting such a lofty goal.

Will never happen. I'm not just saying that because I am an admirer of Michael Jackson, but Kanye has yet to come anywhere near the genius that is Thriller. That was epic piece of work that will never be duplicated in my lifetime or the next. Unfortunately what Kanye does have in common with MJ at this stage in his career is his eccentricities is beginning to eclipse his work. Right now, I need for Kanye to concentrate of changing diapers and being a better person to his fans and public alike.

Kanye can scream-sing on it while turning into a flesh-eating monster..

[Edited 9/15/14 15:24pm]

thesoulbrother said:

Will never happen. I'm not just saying that because I am an admirer of Michael Jackson, but Kanye has yet to come anywhere near the genius that is Thriller. That was epic piece of work that will never be duplicated in my lifetime or the next. Unfortunately what Kanye does have in common with MJ at this stage in his career is his eccentricities is beginning to eclipse his work. Right now, I need for Kanye to concentrate of changing diapers and being a better person to his fans and public alike.

Interesting take. Thriller was such a hit in my opinion because Mj fused the music with the mega video which really had not been explored before. The music is good but I wouldn't call it epic by any stretch of my musical imagination. Mj was the first artist that made the video more important than the music.

[Edited 9/15/14 20:14pm]

Well you can start by not calling your next album, "Yeezus 2"

I liked Tony's mixtape Finding Dakota Grey. If you like R&B you might like it. Tony said "We are out to make a new Thriller....if you will" which basically just means they are trying to make another great hip-hop record. It's going to be hard for Kanye to top himself but I'm betting it will be a little bit more radio friendly than Yeezus.

[Edited 9/15/14 16:13pm]

Kanye might have the eccentricities, but he doesn't have the likeability factor that MJ had back in '82.

Ellie said:

Kanye might have the eccentricities, but he doesn't have the likeability factor that MJ had back in '82.

And his career is happening during the Social Media Era.

MotownSubdivision said:

Ellie said:

Kanye might have the eccentricities, but he doesn't have the likeability factor that MJ had back in '82.

And his career is happening during the Social Media Era.

Single download sales are through the roof right now though. The album itself is kind of dead for young people. For a studio album to do big numbers these days it has to tap into market for the CD buying 40+ generations.

Ellie said:

Kanye might have the eccentricities, but he doesn't have the likeability factor that MJ had back in '82.

Thanks for saying this. When people make outlandish comparisions to the Thriller mania people tend to leave that very important detail out. People liked and was intrigued by Michael's personality, he was interesting.

Ellie said:

MotownSubdivision said:

And his career is happening during the Social Media Era.

Single download sales are through the roof right now though. The album itself is kind of dead for young people. For a studio album to do big numbers these days it has to tap into market for the CD buying 40+ generations.

That's true. That's just one of the major problems with the industry these days and the root of this particular problem is that all pop music is so youth-centric. Even with single sales skyrocketing, the industry is still losing more money than it's making.

MotownSubdivision said:

Ellie said:

Single download sales are through the roof right now though. The album itself is kind of dead for young people. For a studio album to do big numbers these days it has to tap into market for the CD buying 40+ generations.

That's true. That's just one of the major problems with the industry these days and the root of this particular problem is that all pop music is so youth-centric. Even with single sales skyrocketing, the industry is still losing more money than it's making.

U believe that?

I tell ya, diarrhea of the mouth is becoming to be quite the norm these days.

I was reminded of the jazz drummer Tony Williams when I read this.. only to realize.. RIP

Graycap23 said:

thesoulbrother said:

Will never happen. I'm not just saying that because I am an admirer of Michael Jackson, but Kanye has yet to come anywhere near the genius that is Thriller. That was epic piece of work that will never be duplicated in my lifetime or the next. Unfortunately what Kanye does have in common with MJ at this stage in his career is his eccentricities is beginning to eclipse his work. Right now, I need for Kanye to concentrate of changing diapers and being a better person to his fans and public alike.

Interesting take. Thriller was such a hit in my opinion because Mj fused the music with the mega video which really had not been explored before. The music is good but I wouldn't call it epic by any stretch of my musical imagination. Mj was the first artist that made the video more important that the music.

I disagree.I think the videos definitely helped to make Thriller the massive success that it was,but I think the individual songs stand on their own."Billie Jean" is an amazing single even if there had been no video to go along with it.My second favorite song on the album,"Human Nature",didn't even have a video at all.In fact,four of the seven singles didn't even have a video ("Wanna Be Startin' Something","PYT","The Girl Is Mine" and "Human Nature").I'd say that the success of these songs (and the album as a whole) is primarily because of the brilliance of the songs themselves.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:37pm]

HAPPYPERSON said:

'Tony Williams: Kanye West Is Attempting To Make The Next “Thriller”'

[Edited 9/15/14 13:23pm]

Well, he can at least make the attempt. But its likely that is ALL he will achieve.

SoulAlive said:

Graycap23 said:

Interesting take. Thriller was such a hit in my opinion because Mj fused the music with the mega video which really had not been explored before. The music is good but I wouldn't call it epic by any stretch of my musical imagination. Mj was the first artist that made the video more important that the music.

I disagree.I think the videos definitely helped to make Thriller the massive success that it was,but I think the individual songs stand on their own."Billie Jean" is an amazing single even if there had been no video to go along with it.My second favorite song on the album,"Human Nature",didn't even have a video at all.In fact,four of the seven singles didn't even have a video ("Wanna Be Startin' Something","PYT","The Girl Is Mine" and "Human Nature").I'd say that the success of these songs (and the album as a whole) is primarily because of the brilliance of the songs themselves.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:37pm]

If u just sit down and listen 2 those songs, lyrically and then the musicianship.......they really arent that good. I like Mj and and like the album, but I'm just being real. Human Nature and Billy Jean are the best of the bunch. No way that album does what it did without the Motown 25 performance and the video's.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:51pm]

[Edited 9/15/14 20:13pm]

SoulAlive said:

Graycap23 said:

Interesting take. Thriller was such a hit in my opinion because Mj fused the music with the mega video which really had not been explored before. The music is good but I wouldn't call it epic by any stretch of my musical imagination. Mj was the first artist that made the video more important that the music.

I disagree.I think the videos definitely helped to make Thriller the massive success that it was,but I think the individual songs stand on their own."Billie Jean" is an amazing single even if there had been no video to go along with it.My second favorite song on the album,"Human Nature",didn't even have a video at all.In fact,four of the seven singles didn't even have a video ("Wanna Be Startin' Something","PYT","The Girl Is Mine" and "Human Nature").I'd say that the success of these songs (and the album as a whole) is primarily because of the brilliance of the songs themselves.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:37pm]

Well said, agree!!!

Reminds me of when Heidi Montag opened her clams about it. http://buzzworthy.mtv.com...s-thriller /

mjscarousal said:

SoulAlive said:

I disagree.I think the videos definitely helped to make Thriller the massive success that it was,but I think the individual songs stand on their own."Billie Jean" is an amazing single even if there had been no video to go along with it.My second favorite song on the album,"Human Nature",didn't even have a video at all.In fact,four of the seven singles didn't even have a video ("Wanna Be Startin' Something","PYT","The Girl Is Mine" and "Human Nature").I'd say that the success of these songs (and the album as a whole) is primarily because of the brilliance of the songs themselves.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:37pm]

Well said, agree!!!

Mj.......u agree? Lol....of course u do.

Graycap23 said:

SoulAlive said:

I disagree.I think the videos definitely helped to make Thriller the massive success that it was,but I think the individual songs stand on their own."Billie Jean" is an amazing single even if there had been no video to go along with it.My second favorite song on the album,"Human Nature",didn't even have a video at all.In fact,four of the seven singles didn't even have a video ("Wanna Be Startin' Something","PYT","The Girl Is Mine" and "Human Nature").I'd say that the success of these songs (and the album as a whole) is primarily because of the brilliance of the songs themselves.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:37pm]

If u just sit down and listen 2 those songs, lyrically and then the musicianship.......they really arent that good. I like Mj and and like the album, but I'm just being real. Human Nature and Billy Jean are the best of the bunch. No way that album does what it did without the Motown 25 performance and the video's.

[Edited 9/15/14 19:51pm]

[Edited 9/15/14 20:13pm]

I dunno. I really didn't appreciate MJ as a solo artist until I listened to

Thriller. The whole album was great to me with the exception of 2 songs

that were so so. The Girl Is Mine and Baby Be Mine.

thesoulbrother said:

Will never happen. I'm not just saying that because I am an admirer of Michael Jackson, but Kanye has yet to come anywhere near the genius that is Thriller. That was epic piece of work that will never be duplicated in my lifetime or the next. Unfortunately what Kanye does have in common with MJ at this stage in his career is his eccentricities is beginning to eclipse his work. Right now, I need for Kanye to concentrate of changing diapers and being a better person to his fans and public alike.

I think that an album can still have this kind of impact today(not saying Kanye's necessarily) but I do think that an album can have "phenomenon" like impact. I believe that an artist can still capture the imagination of the world. It may not sell 100 million copies, but that's because music is easily available for free now. But as far as impact, and capturing the worlds imagination, I believe wholeheartedly that it can be done.

Thriller was like a freak aligining of the stars. Of course the music was great and that's why it has stood the test of time but it's not MJ's best album. I personally think he's done better before and better since.

Didn't Beyonce try to do something different with the marketing of her latest album? Did that work? Shame the music was utterly tuneless.

Hell, I remember Marky Mark clamining his second album was going to be as big as Thriller

[Edited 9/16/14 0:06am]