Michael Jackson
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Calling all Michael Jackson fans! Celebrate the late King of Pop 15th anniversary of his passing with the new “Billie Jean” […]
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Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty / Fat Joe
Fat Joe reenergized the tired debate about whether Chris Brown is on the same level as the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
In a recent IG Live session, Joey Crack discussed Chris Brown and Michael Jackson. The Bronx rapper made the hottest of takes, claiming that the infamous Rihanna incident keeps Brown from being mentioned in the same breath as Jackson.
The Terror Squad general argued to those watching that it’s been 20 years since Brown physically assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna, claiming that it was time to let it go and that Breezy is the best singer/dancer/performer since Michael Jackson.
Fat Joe took things even further when he used disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly to prove his point, trying to make the tired and ridiculous separate the artist from their egregious actions argument.
Now, to his credit, Chris Brown has shut down the MJ comparisons while still paying homage to the “Thriller” singer. In a 2022 interview with Big Boy, he acknowledged that he draws inspiration from MJ heavily but has also added his own flair to his talent to pave his own path in the music industry.
Social Media Calls C A P on Fat Joe’s Chris Brown Hot Take
Fat Joe’s comments, of course, sparked debate, with many Breezy fans agreeing with him, while other fans of music claim Usher is above Brown, and MJ fans feel no one compares.
“We would still only call Michael Jackson Michael Jackson, actually. And, if we have to decide, Usher would be the only logical heir apparent. Hope this helps,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Apple Music’s Rap Life host Low Key added, “Does he have a ‘Confessions’….?,” referring to Usher’s iconic 2004 album.
He has a point.
The gallery below shows more reactions to Fat Joe caping for Chris Brown as a GOAT.
1. Lol, well played
3. A thread where points were made.
4. Then there’s that
7. He said what ?
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Source: Kevin Mazur / Lionsgate
The first look at the film covering the life of Michael Jackson was released, featuring his nephew in a recreation of one of the star’s iconic looks.
On Tuesday (February 13), the team behind a highly-anticipated biographical film about the legendary singer Michael Jackson released the first official photograph which has everyone buzzing. The King of Pop is being portrayed by his nephew, Jafaar Jackson in the biopic, entitled Michael. The photo, taken by photographer Kevin Mazur, shows Jaffar wearing his uncle’s signature “Man In The Mirror” outfit which he sported during his Dangerous Tour which ran from 1991-1992.
“When I arrived for my first day on the set of this movie, I was so excited – it was like the first time I went on tour to shoot Michael Jackson,” Mazur said in a statement accompanying the first-look photo. “When I walked onto the set, I felt like I’d gone back in time and I was walking into the stadium to shoot the tour. Seeing Jafaar perform, I thought, ‘Wow, it is Michael.’ The way he looks and acts, his mannerisms, everything — he’s Michael Jackson. For anyone who didn’t have the chance to see Michael perform live during his lifetime — this is how it was.”
“With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” said producer Graham King in a statement. “He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.” Michael is being produced by the co-executors of the estate of Michael Jackson and King along with Jackson’s former lawyer John Branca, and John McClain in conjunction with Lionsgate Entertainment.
Michael had been gaining attraction already due to the cast, which brought on Jafaar to play Michael as an adult (Jafaar is the son of Jermaine Jackson) in addition to Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo as father Joe Jackson, Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as Branca, and Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael. “We have assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair and makeup, costumes, cinematography, choreography, lighting, everything – and some who knew and worked with Michael are reuniting for this film. But most importantly, it’s Jaafar who embodies Michael. It goes beyond the physical resemblance. It’s Michael’s spirit that comes through in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it,” director Antoine Fuqua said in a statement.
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Source: Mat Hayward / Getty / Colman Domingo
Colman Domingo is collecting roles like Infinity Stones, and WE LOVE TO SEE IT.
Following the news, he earned his first Oscar nomination for his inspiring performance in the Netflix film Rustin; Colman Domingo has been cast in Antoine Fuqua’s (The Equalizer) upcoming Michael Jackson biopic as the late iconic pop star’s father, Joe Jackson.
The news of Domingo joining the film’s cast comes after the announcement that Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar, will play the “Billie Jean” crafter and 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi, portraying the King of Pop in his early years.
Speaking exclusively with Variety, The Color Purple star spoke about joining the cast of the Michael Jackson film.
“It’s exciting to do it with Jaafar,” Domingo said. “Jermaine Jackson’s son is playing Michael, and he is breathtaking, and I think Graham King, the producer, has assembled an incredible cast.”
In a statement announcing his addition to the cast, he added, “I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon. Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex, and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front-row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation.”
Domingo Is The Perfect Man For The Role
Now, if you are one of the rare people wondering if Domingo is the right actor for the job, look no further than his still-growing and very impressive resume.
Domingo is no stranger to playing complex figures like Joe Jackson and has a knack for portraying them in a way where, while you will have some disdain for them, you will still walk away with a better appreciation and understanding of them.
Look no further than his portrayal of Albert “Mister” Johnson in The Color Purple, who is easily one of the most despised characters in the Alice Walker novel.
Speaking with CassiusLife’s Bernard “Beanz” Smalls, he spoke on the role, saying, “When you’re watching him, you can’t just villainize him. You have to, in a strange way, find ways to have empathy for the character, and that makes it more human.”
That wasn’t the only big announcement; Colman will also star as Nat King Cole in an upcoming biopic that he will also be directing.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, are giving Domingo his things and reacting to the news.
You can see the reactions in the gallery below.
1. Yes. He. IS
2. Indeed he is
4. Accurate
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Offset is readying the masses for a new album and he’s taking some inspiration from one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Channeling Michael Jackson, Offset announced a new album, the cleverly titled SET IT OFF, and dropped a new video inspired by the late King of Pop’s “Thriller” video along with other classic MJ moments.
With the announcement of SET IT OFF coming by way of his social media pages, Offset upped the ante by also dropping a new video for the album’s first single, “Fan,” which is directed by the rapper. Joining him in the video is Everybody Loves Chris star Paige Hurd, who plays Set’s love interest.
The song also references the recent Kai Cenat incident in New York where a giveaway event led to riots and the arrest of the social media star and streamer. Cenat also makes an appearance in the video in several instances.
Much isn’t known about SET IT OFF but it will mark the second solo album from the Migos co-star. Recently, Quavo dropped his latest solo album, Rocket Power, dedicated to the memory of Takeoff.
SET IT OFF drops on October 13.
Check out the video for “Fan” below.
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Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty
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Back in 2017, Joseph Fiennes ruffled feathers when he was cast as Michael Jackson in an episode of Urban Myths, a British biographical dramedy series. The decision by Fiennes, who is white, to accept the role of the Black pop superstar sparked heated conversations around “whitewashing” and representation in media. Although the episode was eventually […]
Sure, Cardi B shows off her impressive dance moves and twerking skills in music videos like “Up,” but she admits that her talents do have some limitations.
The rapper took to Twitter on Wednesday (March 22) to respond to a fan who suggested that she and her husband Offset recreate the high-energy dance breakdown in Michael and Janet Jackson’s 1995 hit, “Scream.”
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“Offset YES…..Me? …..my knee already broke,” Cardi jokingly replied, retweeting the video.
It’s been an exciting year for Cardi, who recently released a personalized Valentine’s-ready McDonald’s meal with the Migos rapper, featuring Quarter Pounder with cheese, a cheeseburger, side of BBQ sauce, a large fry and apple pie to share, and two large drinks.
Along with the McDonald’s meal, Cardi and Offset also released a full merch collection filled with T-shirts, hoodies, booty shorts and beanies emblazoned with plenty of puns (“nice buns”), signature catchphrases (Cardi’s famous “ok uu rr rr rr”) and more.
In February, Cardi surprised an ecstatic crowd as a special guest at GloRilla’s New York City concert, where the pair teamed up to perform their hit collab “Tomorrow 2,” just weeks after the former and her husband dazzled with a pre-Super Bowl set in Arizona attended by Serena Williams, Tiffany Haddish and more.
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Just Blaze reveals how he stumbled upon vocals that Michael Jackson had recorded for one of Jay-Z’s greatest songs, which had been regarded as an “urban myth”.
The Grammy-nominated producer recently appeared as a guest for the latest episode of the Idea Generation series hosted by journalist Noah Callahan-Bever. As they talked, the discussion turned to what has been considered an urban legend in Hip-Hop – the fact that the legendary Michael Jackson had recorded vocals for Jay-Z’s smash hit “Girls, Girls, Girls”. Just Blaze confirmed that the vocals exist and how finding them surprised him as well.
“So Michael Jackson is on the Girls, Girls, Girls remix. The A version. And I never knew that,” he began. “I don’t know if I didn’t go to the studio that day. I thought it was an urban legend or something that Jay said like in jest one day or just was some kind of a myth. So one day I was looking for something on the server and I find this straight folder that says MJ vocals.”
Just Blaze then detailed what he found as he looked through the files from the recording sessions for Jackson’s “You Rock My World” remix from 2001 that he did with Jay-Z. “And I’m like MJ- don’t that mean Michael Jackson- oh whatever. And I’m thinking it’s probably stuff from- remember Jay had or remember they had the Rock My World- so I’m thinking it’s like takes from that session.”
He continued: “And I’m like I don’t think they recorded this at Baseline but let me take a listen and see what it is. And I realize as I’m listening to it, it’s him singing on Girls, Girls, Girls. And I’m like… it’s true. Like I never- the last 20 years- I just found it during quarantine. So all these years I’ve never known it was actually a real thing. And turns out the files had been sitting downstairs this entire time.”
The conversation with Callahan-Bever also covered how the first moniker Just Blaze was ever tagged with was “Just Hot”…which he turned down. “It came about during the Mase sessions actually. Super Sam and, rest in peace, Huddy Combs. They were like yo you gotta come up with a name. I was just DJ Just. They were like you can’t just be Just. You gotta be something better than that. I think it was Sam who was like yo, your name should be Just Hot. And I was like I am not naming myself Just Hot.”
Check out the entire Idea Generation episode below.
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Jaafar Jackson, born into music royalty as the son of Jermaine Jackson, will soon step into the role of his iconic uncle, Michael Jackson. The 26-year-old performer has plenty of experience as a singer and dancer and will bring that talent to the screen in the upcoming biopic, Michael.
As exclusively reported by Deadline, Jaafar Jackson will play the late, great King Of Pop in the Antonie Fuqua biopic, currently under development by Lionsgate. Jaafar’s father, Jermaine, was a member of The Jackson 5 along with Jaafar’s influential uncle and has been singing and dancing since the age of 12 according to the outlet. With Fuqua in the director’s chair, the script comes from Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan, who also won a Tony Award for the play Red.
Deadline adds that production on Michael will begin later this year as Fuqua wraps the filming of The Equalizer 3 with Denzel Washington.
Jackson shared the news of him playing his uncle with a photo showing him practicing some of those famous MJ moves.
“I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon,” Jaafar wrote in the caption to the post on Monday (Jan. 30).
Michael does not have a release date yet.
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Photo: Gabriel Olsen / Getty
Keeping it in the family. Michael Jackson‘s nephew Jaafar Jackson has officially been cast to portray the King of Pop in Lionsgate’s upcoming biopic, Michael, according to director Antoine Fuqua.
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“Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon,” Fuqua captioned a photo posted to Instagram on Monday (Jan. 30), in which Jaafar is seen dressed as his late uncle, striking one of the icon’s signature poses in the dance studio.
The film will take on the musician’s life and career and will be produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody) and John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. There is no information yet surrounding release date and how much of Michael’s life the biopic will dive into.
“Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers,” said Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
In a career that spanned throughout almost his entire life, the King of Pop had 13 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. He first saw success as part of the family band the Jackson 5, and four of their songs topped the Hot 100.
As a solo artist, Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller became one of the best-selling albums of all time and spent an impressive 37 weeks atop the Billboard 200. Additionally, its seven singles all reached the top 10 of the Hot 100.
Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at age 50.