Ok, lets check out the timeline

1983 - The James Brown Incident

Michael and Prince were there just to watch James Brown(He was a huge influence to them), but He noticed Michael and called him on stage. Michael improvises does a dance move or 2, then ask James Brown to call up Prince(who was on the verge of stardom ala 1999)

LOL Moment: as prince goes to the stage he takes of his glove and throws it into the crowd and .02 seconds somone chucks it right back at him

Prince goes on stage tries to play guitar but it wasnt working with him, so he takes of his jacket, the crowd goes wild and then his does this weird "Darling Nikki" esque scream & proceeds to ackward dance moves until he leaves the stage

LOL Moment: as prince leaves the stage he hold on to a plastic lampost which he probably thought was nailed firm onto the ground...yea umm no, he falls off of the stage with the lampost

Questionable bit: There's an interview on youtube where Quincy Jones says as he Prince walked on the stage he tried to challenge Michael, After the show Prince waited outside in a Limosuine and tried to run over Michael & Latoya(whom Prince had a crush on)

Now the incident was so bad James Brown decided to edit Prince out of the televised version and left Michael in

My Thoughts: If there rivalry started anywhere this is it. Michael's sister used to listen to Prince and they loved him (to the point where Rebbie Jackson covered Private Joy) & like i stated above Prince was becoming a household name. I feel however Michael made a rookie mistake by overestimated Prince improvisation skills at the time and well this happened.

1985 - The Table Tennis Game

Two years after the "James Brown incident" the 2 reunited at Samuel Goldwyn Studio out in west hollywood. Prince was finishing up Under The Cherry Moon and here come Michael with his bodyguard(s). They talk alittle and Prince challenges Michael to a game of Ping Pong. Michael (who knows he never played Ping Pong a day in his life) accepts the challenge and is easily beaten by Prince over and over again.

LOL Moment: Michael was getting beat so bad that Prince got bored and started hitting the ball towards Michael and wasnt actively trying to win. Michael even put down the paddle and started covering his face!!!

While they're playing people stop what their doing to watch & in come Prince's then-girlfriend Sherilyn Fenn. Michael sees her and starts flirting the whole time at this point he doesnt even care about the game. Prince (being the prideful man he is) decided not to intervine and after Michael leaves he dumps her.

LOL Moment: Later on that day, Prince says Michael played like Helen Keller

1986 - Prince's meeting with Quincy Jones & Camille....Oops I Mean Michael Jackson

Sometime around the summer of 1986, Quincy Jones set up a meeting between Michael and Prince.

They sit down and and Quincy brings up a collaboration. They play a demo of Bad (which went by the name Pee) and right on the first lyric, "Your Butt is Mine" Prince said "who's saying that to who? cause i'm not singing that to you and YOU SURE AIN'T SINGING THAT TO ME" Prince then went home and re-recorded his unreleased song "Wouldn't You Love Me?" and submitted it into Quincy Jones. Michael ultimately declined claiming it didnt fit the theme of the album. Prince then told MJ and his camp that Bad would be a big hit without him.

LOL & Questionable Moment: In the same Quincy Jones interview(mentioned above),Quincy Jones says Prince called Michael Camille

My Thoughts: I REALLY REALLY REALLY HATE that they couldnt find common ground and collaborate on the song, i guess its one of the "best thing that never was."

1992 - My Name Is Prince

Around 1992 people had begun to call MJ "The King Of Pop", so on October 13 1992 Prince released "The Love Symbol" album and on the first song "My Name Is Prince" Prince says:

"My name is Prince, I don't wanna be king
Cuz I've seen the top and it's just a dream
Big cars and women and fancy clothes
Will save your face but it won't save your soul"

My Thoughts: He says he doesnt want the title King because he's been at the peak of stardom and its not what its made out to be. You appear to enjoy life but mentally and spiritually your in hell. Also the "save your face" line may be a shot at Michael's plastic surgery...but i may be reaching

Tony M. also threw a little something in there with this line:

"So with a flow and a spray, I say hey
You must become a prince before you're king anyway"

My Thoughts: Tony means if anyone is gonna be a king they would have to be a Prince. Putting Prince before MJ musically.

2001 - Michael Strikes Back

At this point there should have been no more mention of a rivalry between Michael & Prince but on October 30 MJ releases his final studio album Invincible and he says something on there that a lot of people didn't pick up on, He says:

"If there's somebody else, he can't love you like me
And he says he'll treat you well, he can't treat you like me
And he's buying diamonds and pearls, he can't do it like me
And he's taking you all across the world, he can't trick you like me"

My Thoughts: Assuming he's speaking to a mutual love interest, he means there is no one who can treat you treat or love her like he can. Now here is where you know he's talking about Prince, he says he's buying "Diamonds and Pearls", as all of you may or may not know In 1992 Prince released his Smash hit album "Diamonds And Pearls", so ask yourself why would Michael put that in his song knowing that it could be misconstrued and seen as an attack towards Prince? That's the whole point he wanted Prince to know he was fed up and "this is my response" the"taking you all across the world" line only confirms this Prince went on world tours constantly and was well known for being a romantic, who just so happened to make an album called "Diamonds and Pearls" i'm not gonna lie this was brilliant.

2003 - Life O' The Party

Prince makes a huge comeback, with his 2003 album "Musicology" and on the 4th track: Life O' The Party Prince says this:

"My voice is getting higher
And I ain 't never had my nose done
That's the other guy"

My Thoughts: Prince pokes fun at Michaels nose job and at the same time tries to distance himself from Michael. Also it was rumored that Michael had an additional nose job to help him hit higher notes.

LOL Moment: Michael, Will.I.Am & Chris Tucker went to see Prince during the Musicology Tour. Prince walked over to the section where they were and began to play bass in Michael's face. After Prince goes to the stage Michaels says: "What's up with prince playing the bass in my face?"

FINAL THOUGHTS: Both artist were amazing artist that left their mark on both Music & The World, I truely believe there was no malice between the 2 and it was just a friendly rivalry. They loved each others music and inspired each other to do better and in the process inspired future generations. The world will never forget the 2 Icons and we will live through their music. RIP Prince & MJ, we wish u both heaven.

don't mind me, i'm just here with my popcorn and my drink, minding my own biz

Seriously?

http://prince.org/msg/7/437262

Please discuss here: http://prince.org/msg/7/437262

BTW - Musicology was 2004