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With fans across the world anticipating Michael Jackson's forthcoming album -- set to hit stores in November -- one of Jackson's many collaborators is combating the idea.
Black Eyed Peas front man Will.i.am vented his frustration this week over the posthumous release, calling it "disrespectful" to produce an album without the late King of Pop's blessing.
"I don't think that should ever come out. That's bad," he told the Associated Press. "He was a perfectionist, and he wouldn't have wanted it that way. How you gonna release Michael Jackson when Michael Jackson ain't here to bless it?"
The Grammy Award-winning producer worked with the legendary icon on the 2008 re-release of 'Thriller,' in which he remixed hits such as 'The Girl Is Mine' and 'P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)'. The hit maker took heed to the icon's meticulous work ethic, which also led him to further question the forthcoming opus.
"Now that he is not part of the process, what are they doing?" he continued. "Why would you put a record out like that? Because he was a friend of mine, I just think that's disrespectful. What's wrong with what he already contributed to the world?"
According to various reports, the as-yet-untitled project will feature 10 previously unreleased tracks and involve Jackson's brothers Jackie and Marlon, as well as producer Rodney Jerkins.
The demand of Jackson's music has remained high since his untimely 2009 death, not to mention the numerous vaults of unreleased music. Rolling Stone magazine reported that the vaults contain more than 100 completed and unreleased songs, including collaborations with Akon, Will.i.am and Ne-Yo.
"There are a couple of songs we recorded for the 'Bad' album that we had to cut that are just sensational," Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo recently told the music magazine.
Although the November project will be the first of a 10-project seven-year deal between Jackson's estate and Sony Music, Will.i.am is adamant against his material being released due to increasing demand.
"So what? You don't disrespect someone when they're gone," he said. "How much can you suck from his energy? ... Freaking parasites!"
Comments: (24)
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By: OpenMinded on 8/04/2010 9:44AM
I would not buy that album....MJ is gone and it is soooooo wrong.
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By: wet on 8/05/2010 10:58AM
Even though I know that we ALL disagree with the motives of the estate executors (Branca & McClain)...but we have to support this new album...because there is a 300 million dollar payment due on that catalogue in December, and if they forfeit on payment and lose it to Sony... Remember MJ fought and died to keep that catalogue out of their hands of Sony!
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By: Vanessa Jones on 8/05/2010 1:29PM
It's wrong if you don't want his talent to continue in his absence. Lots of stars are gone but you don't stop because of that. No, he want make any more money but he do have family members who need to take care of the family that he left behind. Just stop the drama and grummbling over nothing.
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By: mary g on 8/04/2010 10:50AM
Anything Michael is better than nothing Michael! Although I do have a great deal of respect for Will.i.am, and I understand his sentiments....in my opinion great music died on 6-25-2009....! He is right, Michael was a perfectionist, however "This Is It" proved that Michael had so much more creative genius to share with the world, and seeing Michael unrehersed and not being so perfect...made him more of a human being than we had ever seen before. It also reminded us that we would still L.O.V.E. Michael...perfect or not!
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By: JOE COOL on 8/04/2010 11:26PM
WAIT IF THESE TRACKS ARE COMPLETED THEY WERE ALREADY BLESSED BY THE KING HIMSELF THEY JUST DIDN'T MAKE THE ALBUMS MOTOWN HAS A LOT OF THAT STUFF TOO AS A MJ FAN I SAY RELEASE THEM ALL PEACE
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By: kim on 8/04/2010 3:53PM
Michael has left the world with sooooooooo much music that I don't see the need to put this album out. I agree with Will. i. am, how you gonna disrespect the King of Pop like that? Let it be & let him rest. Good for you Wil.i.am for speaking out & from your heart. I hope MJ's brothers are listening, but probably not......everything that gets done, according to them, MJ would have wanted it that way, and they know he wouldn't.
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By: OOOZZZZZ on 8/05/2010 10:31AM
Quote: ""So what? You don't disrespect someone when they're gone," he said. "How much can you suck from his energy? ... Freaking parasites!"
Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Tupac, Biggie Smalls etc...this is the business and the business is about money.
The record companies own that music, not the artists.
Dead artists and living artists in reality, don't own their own music. They probably either wrote it themselves or someone else (a record company song writer) wrote their songs but via the contract (unless that artists has a legal binding contract to own his/her music masters tapes) then the record companies do and their "owned" previously unreleased and re-released music from those artists are released and distributed all the time by record companies (full albums of new or old music or as a part of a compilations or mixtape) since they have the legal right to do so Will.i.am and many others can get pissed all they want but there is nothing that he or anyone else can do about it but not buy the new Michael Jackson CD.
For money and fame, this is the contract that artists sign when they deal with the devil called record companies. When they sign that recording contract, they give up their rights as owners of their own music.
They don't own their own creations; their music and once they are dead or break/resign/complete a contract and/or move to another record company, that music that they created under the old record company owns that music and with the new record company, the deal is the same.
That's why Prince (when he changed his name to a symbol) went to court and won his musical rights back. He won the rights to the majority of his music and even now, when he performs, he cannot sing or perform certain songs he wrote (like the song "1999") unless he get's permission from the record company that he was signed to at the time of that song's release.
He fought and still fight so hard to keep his musical intregity intact from the hands of the record companies and Will.i.am, instead of bitchin' about his late friend Michael, needs to follow in Princes' footsteps and protect himself (get total ownership of his written songs & master tapes) and not suffer from the same fate when he dies.
And just like Tupac, if Michael Jackson has more unreleased music out there (if this release is successful) then there will be more music to follow.
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By: wet on 8/05/2010 10:59AM
Even though I know that we ALL disagree with the motives of the estate executors (Branca & McClain)...but we have to support this new album...because there is a 300 million dollar payment due on that catalogue in December, and if they forfeit on payment and lose it to Sony... Remember MJ fought and died to keep that catalogue out of their hands of Sony!
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By: thmjan on 8/05/2010 11:06AM
If Michael's mother stands behind the new release, so do I. I still can't figure out How Will.i.am music that he has released in the past be so popular? I'm just not feeling his music! Yes, I said it! There is no soul in will.i.am music! So go hopping up and down somewhere else, you clown!
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By: Joseph on 8/05/2010 11:31AM
NO, he has no right, they belong to the estate managers and family. My consternation is with Marlon and Jackie's involvement. I get the impression the Jackson brothers are attempting to capitalize on Michael's prominence. I think the music should be released. If the tunes are complete perfection is a moot point, Michael's blessing should be assumed by completion. He wouldn't can music he wasn't pleased with. Monies earned will further insure the security of his children. His estate is still earning millions. Katherine is getting on in age I hope barriers are in place to fend off the wolves. I don't agree with William. If he has his way we'll have heard the last of Michael. He has more to offer the world musically, I'll mostly miss his physical presence. No more innovative dance moves.
RIP Michael.
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