Tupac Shakur reportedly declined a collaboration with Michael Jackson over disrespect, missing out on an iconic hip-hop and pop fusion.
Michael Jackson in the Beat It music video | Credits: Billboard Music
Rumor has it, that the collaboration fizzled not due to creative differences but because Shakur reportedly felt Jackson just wasn’t bringing the same level of respect to the table. And, in classic Pac style, he wasn’t about to back down, even if it meant losing the chance to work with the King of Pop. Imagine what could’ve been if only they had found common ground.
Tupac Shakur Walked Away from Michael Jackson Collaboration—A Bold Stand for Respect
Tupac Shakur fromAll Eyez on Me | Credit: Codeblack Films
“He wasn’t man enough”—Tupac Shakur’s legendary words when he shut down a chance to work with Michael Jackson. Shakur showed up to the studio, all fired up to drop a verse, only to find out the King of Pop was a no-show.
According to Napoleon from the Outlawz, Shakur wasn’t having any of it. He walked right out. Why? Respect, plain and simple. Shakur didn’t just want a quick collab for the cash. He was about realness. As Napoleon said,
They said, ‘Oh he can’t come. They want you to lay the verse.’ He got up and left. And that’s Michael Jackson. He wasn’t man enough to come say hi to me and speak to me? I don’t want to get on his song.
If Jackson wasn’t even gonna meet him face-to-face, Shakur wasn’t interested—end of story. But that wasn’t the only time Shakur’s team tried to get Jackson involved. Quincy QD3 Jones III spilled that they aimed to get Jackson on Thug Nature, a track originally lined up for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Jones claimed Jackson turned them down because of loyalty to Shakur’s rival, Biggie.
Not everyone’s buying that version, though. Danny Boy, another Death Row insider, called out those claims, remembering Jackson going wild over All Eyez on Me during a meeting. The tangled web between Jackson, Biggie, and Death Row keeps this story in the murky zone.
Ultimately, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory dropped without a hint of Jackson, sticking to the likes of the Outlawz and Danny Boy. Fans can only imagine what that track would’ve sounded like—but Shakur wasn’t about to settle. Respect was everything.
October Belongs to the King: Michael Jackson’s Classics Are Back on the Charts
Jafaar Jackson in a still from Michael | Credits: Lionsgate
October’s been kind to Michael Jackson—again. The Essential Michael Jackson made a comeback, hitting the Billboard charts like it never left. The compilation jumped back into three rankings, climbing as high as No. 8 on the Top R&B Albums list. It also snuck into the top 40 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, sitting pretty at No. 31.
Meanwhile, Thriller—the album—is riding the wave too. It soared on five charts, landing inside the top 10 on two of them. On the ever-competitive Billboard 200, Thriller popped up to No. 70.
The Essential Michael Jackson moved 12,000 more units, with over 750 being physical sales. Not bad for a collection of tracks that still feel as timeless as ever. Jackson’s October reign keeps on shining.
News
The Lord Of The Rings fans divided over new movie announcement
And by “divided” I mean “extremely angry”. A recent slip-up has revealed that a second live-action Lord of the Rings film is on its way, which has of course upset several people. Empire’s recent article by Ben Travis featured an interview with screenwriter…
Lord Of The Rings fans finally learn why the Eagles didn’t just fly our heroes to Mordor
The Lord Of The Rings is one of the biggest fantasy stories on the planet, but there’s a plot hole that’s irked fans for years now, unless you’ve read the books. I’m talking about the question, “Why didn’t the Fellowship just get…
23 Years Later, One Lord of the Rings Actor Just Revealed a Harsh Truth About the Franchise
Few actors are more game to explore the genre space than Hugo Weaving. He’s appeared in many foundational franchises, from The Matrix and V for Vendetta to MCU and Lord of the Rings films. Many of his roles spark an unshakeable sense of nostalgia…
21 Years Later, a Lord of the Rings Star Reveals the One Thing the Gollum Movie Needs to Succeed
It’s been 21 years since Elijah Wood last trekked the wilds of New Zealand, but somehow he found himself doing it again — under very different circumstances. In the newly released comedy adventure film Bookworm, Wood plays Strawn Wise, an unsuccessful magician…
70 Years Ago, The Lord of the Rings Redefined Its World in the Weirdest Way Possible
The concept of “brat summer” is ostensibly coming to an end, but that’s just as well for fans of the fall. Autumn is an ideal time for lovers of cozy fantasy, and even for fantasy stories that skew a bit…
70 Years Ago, Lord of the Rings Sneakily Retconned Its Entire Story
It’s hard to imagine our world without The Lord of the Rings, but perhaps it’s a bit easier to imagine what might have happened had Tolkien not expanded his fictional borders beyond The Hobbit. Seventeen years passed between the initial publication of The Hobbit,…
End of content
No more pages to load
