Good people, I want to be brief but the fact is to comprehend MJ is a huge undertaking. Though Mr. Thompson had some interesting points, his claim is poorly thought out and completely without merit.

First off, let me say that there are certain facts about Mrs. Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter than cannot be disputed.

A) She is talented.
B) She can sing.
C) She can dance.
D) She has star quality.
E) She is a beautiful woman.

That being said, there are definitely parallels between Mrs. Knowles and Michael Joseph Jackson:

A) They both have been entertainers since they were children
B) They are both driven to be the best in their field
C) They have reaped great success in the entertainment industry
D) They are both Virgos–thus hard workers and shy people that come alive on stage
E) They both came from groups that they inevitably outgrew
F) They both-because of growing up in the entertainment industry-have somewhat stunted social development
G) They have overbearing fathers who guided their careers.
H) They both bammas
I) They Black

…and that’s where the comparisons stop.

When Berry Gordy stood before the world at MJ’s memorial and finally said out loud what the world already knew but for numerous reasons could not bring itself to freely admit–that Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer to ever live–NO ONE could offer an argument to the contrary…because there is no argument to the contrary.

There is a point when you are no longer great, but legendary…where you are no longer legendary, but an icon…where you are no longer an icon but the Gold Standard by which all others are measured…MJ reached that level….

MJ didnt just “change the game”, he obliterated the old game and put a new one in its place.

This may sound like hyperbole, but the facts speak for themselves.

No one has sold as many records as MJ. Period. But record sales are only a piece of this pie. Yes, Thriller had a lot of serendipity going for it, but the pieces had been put into place a long time before that…

At the age of FIVE YEARS OLD, MJ was already on a level that he relieved his older brother Jermaine of his lead singer position in the Jackson 5. Grown men refused to play on a bill with him. He was a seasoned enough entertainer that his competition in talent shows swore that he was not a child, but an adult midget (true story). A child had professional adult entertainers shook. Bear in mind, this was the 60’s, where you couldnt lipsynch, use auto-tune, or prerecorded tracks. If you didnt have the goods, you were forced to leave the stage, cute kid or not. The Jackson 5 won EVERY talent show they entered.

Another true story. At the age of THREE YEARS OLD, MJ sang Climb Ev’ry Mountain in school one day. His teacher wept.

Etta James told this story to MJ biographer J. Randy Taraborelli. She said that one night on a tour stop in the Midwest, she noticed a little boy hanging around her dressing room before showtime. She was trying to prepare for the show and the kid was distracting her. She marched up to the kid and told him to get lost. The kid scrambled away. Later, after her set, the boy appeared at her dressing room door. She asked him “What do you want, kid?” The boy replied, “Miss James, my father told me to come and apologize for bothering you earlier. I didn’t meant to, its just that you’re so good. I just want to know how you do it…” Etta had a change of heart and invited the boy in for some pointers. She remembers (in a self-congratulatory way) thinking to herself after the boy had gone, “One day, that boy is going to be the best…because he wants to learn from the best…”.

Mind you, this is going on before Motown ever knew The Jackson 5 existed. The rest, as they say, is history.

There are artists that we enjoy, and then there are artists that we FEEL. They give us pause. They make us consider things. They make us sit up and pay attention, and what they do and say stays with us long after the show is over or the record stops.

I’ve always said that you can divide entertainers into 2 categories: Artists and Acts.

Acts wants your attention and praise. They use whatever talent they may have to gain your favor. It doesnt matter to them how they do it. You pay them and clap for them and they are satisfied.

Artists also wants your attention and praise, but the difference is that an artist feels duty bound to share their gifts. They perform in service of the audience. They feel compelled to connect with their audience, to give a voice to whatever you in the audience may be thinking or feeling. At other times, an artist has something to say that they feel everyone should hear. An artist has purpose and integrity.

Michael Jackson felt duty bound to right the wrongs of the world. He wanted people to stop hurting each other and start loving each other more. It was this message of love that was the foundation of his music and performances until his last day on Earth.

Michael Jackson is an artist. At the age of 18, he pleaded with us to come together in songs like Show You The Way To Go, Living Together, Dreamer, and Strength of One Man. He continued on with a constant message.
-Man of War
-Can You Feel It
-We Are The World
-Earth Song
-They Dont Care About Us
-Beat It
-Heal The World
-Bless His Soul
-Man In The Mirror
-Keep The Faith
-On The Line (which was the theme song to the only film that I know of about the Million Man March)

if you wanna talk empowerment, he said:
“Lift your head up high and scream out to the world
I know I am someone, so let the truth unfurl
No one can hurt you now cause you know its true
Yes, I believe in me, so you believe in you
Help me sang it
Sing to the world, sing it out loud”

He wrote that when he was 21.

Lots of people write inspirational songs, mattafact there’s a whole sub-genre of music dedicated to just that, but when MJ sang people listened…people in all corners of the globe.

While it may seem that Im just retreading old shit…I remind you that we are talking about someone who is being talked about as the “next” one of this caliber, so I think its important to realize what caliber we taumbout here….

We taumbout a cat who inspired the world to stop and not only realize the plight of Africa, but help…you had kids sending in allowances, and Mr. Joe Six Pack writing a check for famine relief….These days that type of widescale philanthropy is commonplace…

We’re taumbout a cat that made grown men cry during and after his life (I’ve seen it). A person who has little children demanding that their parents buy them his music AFTER his death.

MJ changed the way Black men approached singing. How many baritones are there in R&B these days? These days a little white kid is just as likely to start singing in an R&B style than forming a rock band because of MJ.

MJ wrote songs that are part of the permanent fiber of global culture.

MJ made Fred Astaire bow down.

Even MJ’s hero, the notoriously egocentric genius and architect of modern Black music, James Brown insisted that even though MJ had learned from him that MJ was an original.

To this day, people are still trying to discover what made MJ tick.

MJ survived a scandal that would have obliterated anyone else’s career-TWICE. After 8 years of creative silence, then man announced that he was back and instantly sold out the same arena 50 times over.

This is the man we are talking about here. This is the entertainer we are talking about. This is the artist we are talking about.

And who is Questo proclaiming to be his rightful successor?

Beyonce.

Beyonce?

For all the talent, charisma, success, and work ethic that Beyonce has, let’s be really damn real.

She aint fuckin with MJ.

She may be one of the many entertainers in the mold of MJ, but the “NEXT” MJ?

How so? Because there are some similarities in their careers? That aint enough…

Let take the visual out of the equation.

let’s sit MJ’s catalogue next to Beyonce’s….that’s not even fair…

What is the criteria? Beyonce’s songwriting? Aight, let’s look at that….

on persistent suitors:
MJ – “She comes to the door/crying at my feet/Guilt shines in her eyes/as she slowly sinks in deep/You know our love couldnt last forever/persuade your way/but you aint clever/ I close the door and I say never….”

Yonce – “So what/you bought a pair a shoes/what now I guess you think I owe you/you dont have to call as much as you do/Id give em back to be through with you/so what/my mama likes you…”

on self-empowerment:
MJ – “And when you think of trust/Does it lead you home?/To a place/that you only dream of/When you’re all alone/And you can go by feel/’Stead of circumstance/But the power’s in believing/So give yourself a chance…”

Yonce – “the shoes on my feet/I bought it/the clothes I’m wearing/I bought it/the rock Im rockin/I bought it/cuz I depend on me/if I want it/the watch Im wearin/I bought it/the house I live in/I bought it/the car Im drivin/I bought it/cuz I depend on me…”

on a broken heart:
MJ – “and it doesnt seems to matter/and it doesnt seems right/cuz the will has brought no fortune/still I cry alone at night/dont you judge of my composure/cuz Im bothered everyday/and she didnt leave a letter/she just up and ran away…”

Yonce – “Now that it’s over/Stop calling me/Come pick up your clothes/Ain’t no need to front like you’re still with me/All your homies know/Even your very best friend/Tried to warn me on the low/It took me some time/But now I am strong…”

I think we can see that we’re not dealing with the same caliber of songwriter…Also let me point out, that songwriting and producing actual music is one of the things that MJ was known for (if the word “Quincy” enters your mind, go see my “In Memoriam Part 1″ blog, then rejoin us here). it is common knowledge now that if you want a track on a Yonce album you are REQUIRED to give her a writing AND production credit–whether she did any work or not. Tsk Tsk, mayne. Okay, we know that she’s written lyrics before. Schmoove. But sometimes she doesnt when the credits say otherwise. See If I Was A Boy.

But Beyonce aint twisted knob the first, or arranged a string session, or worked out chords with musicians. Mike has. Kenny Gamble told CBS in 1977 that Mike and his broze didnt need a babysitter in the studio anymore.

Vocally? *looks at the camera*. I’ve only heard B sing ONE song with any kind of believable emotion (the latter song quoted above). Yonce fans, feel free to point me in the direction of any other song by her that moves you emotionally (please say Get Me Bodied). Meanwhile, Mike made HIMSELF cry every time he sang She’s Out Of My Life. EVERY time. Its one thing to sing well, its another thing to make people feel…

Part 2

I just lost major respect for ?

I creamed my pants reading that response to ?uest. Everything was the damn truth!

luv4u said:

There will be skeptics saying that SONY and MJ's family are all about the money, and that's probably true for the most part, but the bottom line is, fans want to continue hearing unreleased material for years to come, I'm looking forward to all of it.

Come on November.

So looks like the deal includes

This Is It
Off The Wall Anniversary Edition (planned for 2009 but postponed when Michael passed)
Bad Anniversary Edition
The new album in November
And they said they have enough material for 2 live albums....

bboy87 said:

What do you think will be on the Off The Wall set? Do you know of any outtakes that could be included?

In fact I didn't even watch the film and even watching the DVD, I didn't really think it added anything new. Haven't played it since I bought it.

Timmy84 said:

Accept it? From who? Sony is a record company in the business of making MONEY. They have no relationship with you, as a fan. The relationship was with MJ the artist- and he's dead. The record company is done with u. They want ppl who just discovered MJ, ridin high on him, and will pick up anythin with his name pasted on it. The ppl who bought "This Is It."

And I know he worked on a new record, and I know he planned to release a new record... 4 yrs ago?

Yeah... it was suppoed to come put in '06/07, then there was Thriller 25... then the King of Pop compilation came out...

What I'm sayin is you'll be lucky to have ONE new album. The rest is up in the air. Sony was raping his catalogue when he was ALIVE. Do u think they'll suddenly stop now that he's dead? He's just a brand name and a money machine. Whatever is done now isn't comin from him... we all know damn sure well This Is It was never meant to see the light of the day. He'll be singing on rapper's hooks...

This picture sums up Michael's whole life.

Someone please help. I cannot see the pictures on this site. They just don´t show up. Does anyone know what the problem could be?
http://mjj-online.net/gal...stup&cat=0

dag said:

I can see them, maybe the problem with your pc or the Internet connection.


[Edited 3/17/10 11:33am]

Good people, I want to be brief but the fact is to comprehend MJ is a huge undertaking. Though Mr. Thompson had some interesting points, his claim is poorly thought out and completely without merit.

First off, let me say that there are certain facts about Mrs. Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter than cannot be disputed.

A) She is talented.
B) She can sing.
C) She can dance.
D) She has star quality.
E) She is a beautiful woman.

That being said, there are definitely parallels between Mrs. Knowles and Michael Joseph Jackson:

A) They both have been entertainers since they were children
B) They are both driven to be the best in their field
C) They have reaped great success in the entertainment industry
D) They are both Virgos–thus hard workers and shy people that come alive on stage
E) They both came from groups that they inevitably outgrew
F) They both-because of growing up in the entertainment industry-have somewhat stunted social development
G) They have overbearing fathers who guided their careers.
H) They both bammas
I) They Black

…and that’s where the comparisons stop.

When Berry Gordy stood before the world at MJ’s memorial and finally said out loud what the world already knew but for numerous reasons could not bring itself to freely admit–that Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer to ever live–NO ONE could offer an argument to the contrary…because there is no argument to the contrary.

There is a point when you are no longer great, but legendary…where you are no longer legendary, but an icon…where you are no longer an icon but the Gold Standard by which all others are measured…MJ reached that level….

MJ didnt just “change the game”, he obliterated the old game and put a new one in its place.

This may sound like hyperbole, but the facts speak for themselves.

No one has sold as many records as MJ. Period. But record sales are only a piece of this pie. Yes, Thriller had a lot of serendipity going for it, but the pieces had been put into place a long time before that…

At the age of FIVE YEARS OLD, MJ was already on a level that he relieved his older brother Jermaine of his lead singer position in the Jackson 5. Grown men refused to play on a bill with him. He was a seasoned enough entertainer that his competition in talent shows swore that he was not a child, but an adult midget (true story). A child had professional adult entertainers shook. Bear in mind, this was the 60’s, where you couldnt lipsynch, use auto-tune, or prerecorded tracks. If you didnt have the goods, you were forced to leave the stage, cute kid or not. The Jackson 5 won EVERY talent show they entered.

Another true story. At the age of THREE YEARS OLD, MJ sang Climb Ev’ry Mountain in school one day. His teacher wept.

Etta James told this story to MJ biographer J. Randy Taraborelli. She said that one night on a tour stop in the Midwest, she noticed a little boy hanging around her dressing room before showtime. She was trying to prepare for the show and the kid was distracting her. She marched up to the kid and told him to get lost. The kid scrambled away. Later, after her set, the boy appeared at her dressing room door. She asked him “What do you want, kid?” The boy replied, “Miss James, my father told me to come and apologize for bothering you earlier. I didn’t meant to, its just that you’re so good. I just want to know how you do it…” Etta had a change of heart and invited the boy in for some pointers. She remembers (in a self-congratulatory way) thinking to herself after the boy had gone, “One day, that boy is going to be the best…because he wants to learn from the best…”.

Mind you, this is going on before Motown ever knew The Jackson 5 existed. The rest, as they say, is history.

There are artists that we enjoy, and then there are artists that we FEEL. They give us pause. They make us consider things. They make us sit up and pay attention, and what they do and say stays with us long after the show is over or the record stops.

I’ve always said that you can divide entertainers into 2 categories: Artists and Acts.

Acts wants your attention and praise. They use whatever talent they may have to gain your favor. It doesnt matter to them how they do it. You pay them and clap for them and they are satisfied.

Artists also wants your attention and praise, but the difference is that an artist feels duty bound to share their gifts. They perform in service of the audience. They feel compelled to connect with their audience, to give a voice to whatever you in the audience may be thinking or feeling. At other times, an artist has something to say that they feel everyone should hear. An artist has purpose and integrity.

Michael Jackson felt duty bound to right the wrongs of the world. He wanted people to stop hurting each other and start loving each other more. It was this message of love that was the foundation of his music and performances until his last day on Earth.

Michael Jackson is an artist. At the age of 18, he pleaded with us to come together in songs like Show You The Way To Go, Living Together, Dreamer, and Strength of One Man. He continued on with a constant message.
-Man of War
-Can You Feel It
-We Are The World
-Earth Song
-They Dont Care About Us
-Beat It
-Heal The World
-Bless His Soul
-Man In The Mirror
-Keep The Faith
-On The Line (which was the theme song to the only film that I know of about the Million Man March)

if you wanna talk empowerment, he said:
“Lift your head up high and scream out to the world
I know I am someone, so let the truth unfurl
No one can hurt you now cause you know its true
Yes, I believe in me, so you believe in you
Help me sang it
Sing to the world, sing it out loud”

He wrote that when he was 21.

Lots of people write inspirational songs, mattafact there’s a whole sub-genre of music dedicated to just that, but when MJ sang people listened…people in all corners of the globe.

While it may seem that Im just retreading old shit…I remind you that we are talking about someone who is being talked about as the “next” one of this caliber, so I think its important to realize what caliber we taumbout here….

We taumbout a cat who inspired the world to stop and not only realize the plight of Africa, but help…you had kids sending in allowances, and Mr. Joe Six Pack writing a check for famine relief….These days that type of widescale philanthropy is commonplace…

We’re taumbout a cat that made grown men cry during and after his life (I’ve seen it). A person who has little children demanding that their parents buy them his music AFTER his death.

MJ changed the way Black men approached singing. How many baritones are there in R&B these days? These days a little white kid is just as likely to start singing in an R&B style than forming a rock band because of MJ.

MJ wrote songs that are part of the permanent fiber of global culture.

MJ made Fred Astaire bow down.

Even MJ’s hero, the notoriously egocentric genius and architect of modern Black music, James Brown insisted that even though MJ had learned from him that MJ was an original.

To this day, people are still trying to discover what made MJ tick.

MJ survived a scandal that would have obliterated anyone else’s career-TWICE. After 8 years of creative silence, then man announced that he was back and instantly sold out the same arena 50 times over.

This is the man we are talking about here. This is the entertainer we are talking about. This is the artist we are talking about.

And who is Questo proclaiming to be his rightful successor?

Beyonce.

Beyonce?

For all the talent, charisma, success, and work ethic that Beyonce has, let’s be really damn real.

She aint fuckin with MJ.

She may be one of the many entertainers in the mold of MJ, but the “NEXT” MJ?

How so? Because there are some similarities in their careers? That aint enough…

Let take the visual out of the equation.

let’s sit MJ’s catalogue next to Beyonce’s….that’s not even fair…

What is the criteria? Beyonce’s songwriting? Aight, let’s look at that….

on persistent suitors:
MJ – “She comes to the door/crying at my feet/Guilt shines in her eyes/as she slowly sinks in deep/You know our love couldnt last forever/persuade your way/but you aint clever/ I close the door and I say never….”

Yonce – “So what/you bought a pair a shoes/what now I guess you think I owe you/you dont have to call as much as you do/Id give em back to be through with you/so what/my mama likes you…”

on self-empowerment:
MJ – “And when you think of trust/Does it lead you home?/To a place/that you only dream of/When you’re all alone/And you can go by feel/’Stead of circumstance/But the power’s in believing/So give yourself a chance…”

Yonce – “the shoes on my feet/I bought it/the clothes I’m wearing/I bought it/the rock Im rockin/I bought it/cuz I depend on me/if I want it/the watch Im wearin/I bought it/the house I live in/I bought it/the car Im drivin/I bought it/cuz I depend on me…”

on a broken heart:
MJ – “and it doesnt seems to matter/and it doesnt seems right/cuz the will has brought no fortune/still I cry alone at night/dont you judge of my composure/cuz Im bothered everyday/and she didnt leave a letter/she just up and ran away…”

Yonce – “Now that it’s over/Stop calling me/Come pick up your clothes/Ain’t no need to front like you’re still with me/All your homies know/Even your very best friend/Tried to warn me on the low/It took me some time/But now I am strong…”

I think we can see that we’re not dealing with the same caliber of songwriter…Also let me point out, that songwriting and producing actual music is one of the things that MJ was known for (if the word “Quincy” enters your mind, go see my “In Memoriam Part 1″ blog, then rejoin us here). it is common knowledge now that if you want a track on a Yonce album you are REQUIRED to give her a writing AND production credit–whether she did any work or not. Tsk Tsk, mayne. Okay, we know that she’s written lyrics before. Schmoove. But sometimes she doesnt when the credits say otherwise. See If I Was A Boy.

But Beyonce aint twisted knob the first, or arranged a string session, or worked out chords with musicians. Mike has. Kenny Gamble told CBS in 1977 that Mike and his broze didnt need a babysitter in the studio anymore.

Vocally? *looks at the camera*. I’ve only heard B sing ONE song with any kind of believable emotion (the latter song quoted above). Yonce fans, feel free to point me in the direction of any other song by her that moves you emotionally (please say Get Me Bodied). Meanwhile, Mike made HIMSELF cry every time he sang She’s Out Of My Life. EVERY time. Its one thing to sing well, its another thing to make people feel…

SoulAlive said:

Yeah...

BUT the songs he wrote during 1978-79 are hard to follow because Michael began writing for Off The Wall while working on Desiny. He started studio work on OTW the week after Desiny was released (Destiny was released on December 4, he went into the studio for Off The Wall on December 12)
and while working on Off The Wall AND doing the Destiny Tour, he began writing for Triumph

So far we know about these songs:
Got To Find A Way Somehow
Ode To Sorrow (he wrote this in '77 though)
Under Your Skin
You Told Me Your Lovin'
You Not Me (which evolved into This Has To Be)
The Invisible Me
In The Life Of Chico
A Baby Smiles (which I think he also did work on for Dangerous)
That Girl (from the Destiny sessions)

Then he did some tracks with James Whitney between '76-79
Disco Kids
Goodness Knows
Sweet Music

then you have the demo to Rock With You that was supposed to be on the 2001 edition of Off The Wall but removed a couple of months before the release and possibly demos to Off The Wall, Get On The Floor, and other songs


We also heard that the reissue was gonna feature some mixes ala Thriller 25 BUT fans flat out PANNED that idea and I think the estate is watching MJ forums these days (especially with so much leaking these past 7 months)

So much about the 1978-1980 period is blurry but one thing is for sure: Michael was a busy 20 year old

SoulAlive said:

Yeah...

BUT the songs he wrote during 1978-79 are hard to follow because Michael began writing for Off The Wall while working on Desiny. He started studio work on OTW the week after Desiny was released (Destiny was released on December 4, he went into the studio for Off The Wall on December 12)
and while working on Off The Wall AND doing the Destiny Tour, he began writing for Triumph

So far we know about these songs:
Got To Find A Way Somehow
Ode To Sorrow (he wrote this in '77 though)
Under Your Skin
You Told Me Your Lovin'
You Not Me (which evolved into This Has To Be)
The Invisible Me
In The Life Of Chico
A Baby Smiles (which I think he also did work on for Dangerous)
That Girl (from the Destiny sessions)

Then he did some tracks with James Whitney between '76-79
Disco Kids
Goodness Knows
Sweet Music

then you have the demo to Rock With You that was supposed to be on the 2001 edition of Off The Wall but removed a couple of months before the release and possibly demos to Off The Wall, Get On The Floor, and other songs


We also heard that the reissue was gonna feature some mixes ala Thriller 25 BUT fans flat out PANNED that idea and I think the estate is watching MJ forums these days (especially with so much leaking these past 7 months)

So much about the 1978-1980 period is blurry but one thing is for sure: Michael was a busy 20 year old
[Edited 3/17/10 6:58am]

Sony bets MJ fans won't stop 'til they get enough
.