Michael Jackson – This Is It [mp3]

Don’t hold your breath for the much ballyhooed MJ jawn, “This Is It.” It’s more like This Is It? The song shares its title with the comeback tour Michael was rehearsing when he died in June. The song will appear on a new 2-disc set, also titled This Is It, which features old and new material, including a spoken-word poem by Michael called “Planet Earth.” The set will be released internationally on Oct. 26 and in North America on Oct. 27. Michael’s rehearsal footage, which Sony Pictures pieced together for the documentary film “Michael Jackson: This Is It,” arrives in theaters on Oct. 28.

[h/t: TSS]

The King of Blue-Eyed Soul paid tribute to the King of Pop in Philadelphia, PA. over the weekend. How fitting. This reminds me that I have some exclusive footage of Mos Def and T-Pain paying tribute to MJ at their respective Houston shows.

I don’t even completely grasp how you do a moonwalk on land. And now you’re telling me it’s possible to moonwalk on water? I quit.

Remember Coldplay’s unsuccessful attempt at a “Billie Jean” cover? As I pointed out earlier, “Billie Jean” is one of the most difficult songs to perform live because of how layered it is. It’s pointless to even attempt to emulate MJ’s vocals when performing this live, and that was Coldplay’s undoing. Unless you’re Christina Aguilera, trying to mimic Michael Jackson’s voice is akin to trying to sound like T-Pain without using Auto-Tune. Mos Def must have seen that Coldplay video because he pretty much performed “Billie Jean” as Mos Def rather than try to match the King’s vocals. And no stupid menstrual pain dancing either.

[Via: Nah Right by way of Prefix]

This is probably Jay’s longest video ever (5:31 mins), but it’s worth every second.

Watching Coldplay’s cover of “Billie Jean” made me gain more appreciation for MJ’s prowess as a vocalist. He demonstrated ridiculous range on “Billy Jean” (somewhere in the neighborhood of C-sharp), capped off by that inimitable falsetto. I’ll cut Chris Martin some slack for fumbling the chorus, but why the hell was he bouncing around like he had menstrual cramps?
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U.S. House Speaker explains that it’s not necessary to pass a resolution recognizing Michael Jackson as a music legend, because it might lead to the expression of contrarian views.

Today was a monumental and surreal day for most of us in the music community, because Michael Jackson was laid to rest. His impact on our world is immeasurable, but so is his impact on the music industry as a whole, including hip-hop. Every rapper (and singer) has a Michael Jackson memory, a favorite MJ song, and in some cases, an MJ “Beat It” jacket (just ask Prodigy).
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