LONG LIVE THE KING!

Long Live the King!

Sunday, August 29 would have marked Michael Jackson's 52nd birthday. Since his untimely death last June, some of music's biggest stars have spoken on the impact Jackson has had on their career. Simply put, your favorite artist wouldn't be here if not for Michael Jackson. See what superstars like Chris Brown, Usher, Lenny Kravitz and Beyonce have said about Jackson's influence.

 

 

 

 

 

Pharrell Williams

Legend has it that a bulk of the songs Williams co-produced and co-wrote for Justin Timberlake's "Justified" were first pitched to MJ's management. Thankfully for JT, Jackson's camp passed and the material helped Justin transition from a guilty pleasure to a hip-hop and R&B-approved pop star. Pharrell's falsetto hooks also sound MJ-inspired at times.

 

 

 

 

 

Jay-Z

Hov hardly ever passes on an opportunity to boast. Not only is he one of the few rappers to have worked with MJ, but he managed to bring him out as a surprise guest at Hot 97’s Summer Jam concert at Giants Stadium in 2001. Nine years later and he still feels the need to drop reminders. “MJ at Summer Jam, Obama on the text,“ he spits on “On to the Next One” off his “Blueprint 3.”

 

 

 

 

 

Kanye West

West would likely admit to being an MJ stan. He’s sampled the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” for Jay-Z’s “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and MJ's “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” twice, once for Memphis Bleek’s “I Wanna Love U” and a second time for his own “Good Life.” While he’s no singer, Yeezy’s movements are at times Jacksonesque when on stage. He’s also referenced Michael countless times in his lyrics.

 

 

 

 

Lady Gaga

Not too many people can gloat of being handpicked by MJ. In the wake of his death, reports surfaced that he wanted to work with the new pop sensation and that their camps were already in talks for a possible tour."Michael's death was devastating for me regardless of whether or not I was supposed to tour with him," she said on "Larry King Live" earlier this year. "He is an inspiration and remarkable human being."

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Brown

The influence MJ’s had on C. Breezy’s career is undeniable. The general consensus is that Brown’s dance skills, as evidenced during his Jackson tribute at the 2010 BET Awards, come closest to the gloved one. “Michael Jackson is the reason why I do music and why I am an entertainer,” Brown said in a statement at the time of Jackson’s death. “I am devastated by this great loss, and I will continue to be humbled and inspired by his legacy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usher

Ursher goes as far as saying he owes his success to MJ. "He influenced me in so many ways, more than just music ... as a humanitarian, as a philanthropist, as an artist, as an individual who transcended culture," Usher said during CBS’s “Michael Jackson: Picking Up the Pieces” special last year. "I wouldn't be who I am today without Michael Jackson."

 

 

 

 

Beyonce

The metallic glove Bey wears in her “Single Ladies” video wasn't conceptualized out of thin air. It’s clearly MJ-inspired. BK eulogized Mike onstage a day after his death during a concert at Philly’s Wachovia Center. She told the crowd, “The reason I am here is due to Michael Jackson,” seconds before launching into Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” from “Off the Wall.”

 

 

 

 

 

Justin Timberlake

This former boy bander turned heads when several records on his debut, "Justified" were so Jacksonesque, particularly “Rock Your Body.” "No one presented a song onstage like Michael," Timberlake told CBS. "To create the things that he created with his music, it's really untouchable."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo says he learned how to sing by listening to Michael’s “Off the Wall” CD. The singer proved to be a capable pupil. His 2007 hit, “Because of You,” sounds like a lost MJ session.

 

 

 

 

Omarion

One of the new generation’s most talented dancers, O also channeled his inner MJ whenever hitting the stage. "[Jackson] did not just inspire everything that I do, but I really feel connected to him, just like the world does,” he told MTV. “And from an artist's standpoint, these are the things that I have to ask myself, like, 'Why did everyone draw to him the way that they drew to him? Why did everyone feel the way that I feel about him?' And I mean, like, not 10,000 people or 100,000 people."

 

 

 

Britney Spears

Britney’s another performer whose dance choreographies have Michael’s DNA all over it. “He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone," she once told People Magazine.

 

 

 

 

Lenny Kravitz

The King of Pop touched artists in all genres. Like many others, Lenny Kravitz credits Jackson for giving birth to his musical ambitions. “He was the first live performer I ever saw,” Kravitz wrote in one of multiple tweets dedicated to Jackson last year. “I got to see him at Madison Square Garden when I was 8. If not for him, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.”    

 

 

 

 

Diddy

We may have MJ to thank for Puff's "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" motto. “There’s few things in life that change your life," Diddy told the Associated Press. "Michael Jackson changed my life when I saw him moonwalk, when I heard him sing, when I’ve seen him perform. He was life- changing. He’s the greatest artist of our time."

 

 

Q-Tip

The Abstract Poetic is one of countless MCs to have sampled Michael. His “Move/Renaissance Rap” single off “The Renaissance” samples Jackson 5’s “Dancing Machine.” He also threw an event to celebrate Mike’s 51 birthday last year.

 

 

Janet Jackson

JJ definitely took after her big brother from the dance moves and showmanship to the similarity in their vocal texture.