That moment last Thursday when I received the first text message from my homie, Dunn: RIP Michael Jackson.  I was in denial, much like the denial many of us felt about Michael throughout the nineties.  TMZ isn’t a credible source, I kept telling myself.  When the second source was NY Post: another sensational publication.  Reality set in shortly after when more renowned news sites corroborated that he had indeed left us.

Maybe it was better this way, for he had seemingly left us a while ago.  The pain that I had was of the tormented individual, a post-racial individual who was also a victim of internalized racism.  No pardon will be made regarding his personal decisions, and it was that struggle that fans had, the dichotomy of his artistry and his personal life.

I am not here to discuss the personal but to remember the symbol that had inspired and the music that will continue to inspire.  My aim was to be original and post tracks that generally get’s less attention than the standard hits, but of course Professor O-Dub was already one step ahead.  Thus, I’ll go ahead and contribute my personal list as Oliver had done:

Jackson 5 - Maybe Tomorrow

I won’t lie and say I knew half of these songs prior to a Hip-Hop producer sampling the track, such is the case with this track that inspired Ghostface’s track that made big dude’s in prison cry.

Jackson 5 - All I Do Is Think of You

I grew up knowing Troop’s cover, and it wasn’t until I heard Dilla sample this for “Donut of the Heart” that I found out it was originally a J5 song.

Jackson 5 - Its Great to Be Here

As I discovered three of these five tracks by digging up samples, this was another Hip-Hop related discovery.  But rather, it was from the b-boy video for Battle of the Year 1998 that I first heard it used by, I believe, Rock Force Crew during their preliminary routine.  Such a funky groove and a solid breakbeat.

Michael Jackson - I Can’t Help It

Prince Paul laced De La’s “Breakadawn” using this buttery love song.  Hearing Les Nubians justly cover this song this past weekend at Stern Grove was a blessing and hearing the voices of people sing along was emotional.

Michael Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good

The only track on my list not (yet/to my knowledge) sampled by in a Hip-Hop track, it was an unreleased song from Thriller.  Even though it’s hard to imagine adding one more track to make that album even more flawless, keeping this song would have done so.  Easily one of my favorite Michael songs.

More tributes:

Hua Hsu - “MJ R.I.P.”

Jeff Chang - “Michael Jackson::Morning’s End”

O-Dub - “Michael Jackson: Never Can Say Goodbye” & “M-J-5: A Good Thing Going”

Sasha Frere-Jones - “Michael Died Today”

Carmen Van Kerckhove - “Michael Jackson on Race - and Who He Saw in the Mirror”

Jay Smooth and O-Dub on Sound of America Remembering MJ

Stevie Wonder’s talkbox tribute to MJ

Forever, Michael.

-Ninoy Brown

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 10:43 pm and is filed under In Memoriam, Non-Rap Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.