Friday, June 26, 2009

Fathers of Rap, Volume Three: Michael Jackson


Long live the King of Pop! His throne will never be replaced; his shoes will never be filled. Michael Jackson was bar none the consummate entertainer of the half century. His voice changed lives; his dance blew minds. No other entertainer that I can think of has had such an impact on pop culture. Millions of people today felt like they were losing more than just a favorite musician. With a presence that was so strong, news of his absence felt like an emotional and somatic void.

Jackson will be remembered for albums such as Thriller (the world's best-selling record of all time!), Off the Wall, Bad, and many more. But how will he be remembered in hip hop? Specifically, how did he impact hip hop? In continuation of my "Fathers of Rap" compilation series, I've introduced a special double-disc set featuring over 35 tracks that have sampled and/or interpolated Michael Jackson's music. Disc One focuses on the samples picked from the earlier part of his career, specifically as a member of The Jackson Five, whereas Disc Two offers a look at the samples lifted from the '80's era of Jackson's music as a solo artist. Mixed by yours truly, this collection was compiled as quickly as possible, in anticipation of a weekend in which Jackson's music is sure to be rediscovered and replayed. Aside from my haste, however, this project was a labor of love. I hope you'll enjoy it! Download link to both discs (one .zip package) can be found at the bottom of the post. Turn it up!! And rest in peace, Michael! The peace you were never fortunate enough to find in this lifetime. One.