Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s Nephew Jaafar Jackson To Portray Pop Star In “Michael” Biopic

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The legacy of Michael Jackson will be explored in Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biopic on the pop star, Michael. However, the question of who would take on the lead role has been subject to speculation.

Michael Jackson (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

According to Deadline, Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, will take on the lead role in the film. Fuqua and Jackson confirmed the news on social media this morning.

“Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon,” the Training Day director shared on Instagram.

Jackson expressed his gratitude for the opportunity afterward, writing,

“I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”

Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson, showcased his talents as a singer and dancer on social media in the past, which undoubtedly helped him secure the role.

The upcoming film won’t shy away from exploring some of the grimmer sides of Jackson’s life. From his beginnings as a member of the Jackson 5, Michael will capture the highs and lows of the singer’s career, up until his death from cardiac arrest.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JULY 12: Jaafar Jackson poses backstage at the Reelz Channel ‘Living With The Jacksons’ panel at the 2014 Summer Television Critics Association at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 12, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images for REELZ)

Michael’s estate will also be involved in the film, providing the rights to the singer’s catalog. However, it makes many wonder how this might impact the storyline when it comes to pedophilia allegations and sexual assault.

We’ll keep you posted on anymore details surrounding the upcoming movie. 

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Eddie Murphy Was Snowed In At Rick James’ House While Recording “Party All The Time”

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If there is anyone who has endless tales of Hollywood antics, it’s Eddie Murphy. The entertainment icon isn’t only known for his comedy skills and blockbusters on the silver screen; back in the day, he also released a single, “Party All The Time.” The track featured his good friend Rick James who Murphy has woven into several strange stories of pop culture’s past.

Murphy has been promoting his new film You People, starring Nia Long, Lauren London, and Jonah Hill. The actor dropped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! and shared a never-heard tale of being snowed in with James.

Also Read More: Rick James Limited Series, “Super Freak,” In Works At UCP

Murphy said in the mid-1980s, he and James initially scheduled a brief trip for the actor to record “Party All The Time.” It was all set for Murphy to stay at James’s home, but the weather prolonged his visit.

“We were snowed in for two weeks,” he said. It ended up being an unforgettable experience, with Murphy calling it “maybe the most fun I ever had.”

“I was supposed to go there for like one weekend, and we got snowed in, in Buffalo,” Murphy further stated. “It was like five feet of snow.”

Rick James File Photo with Eddie Murphy 1983 (Photo by Mark Weiss/WireImage)
Eddie Murphy
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Nia Long, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and David Duchovny attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Netflix’s “You People” at Regency Village Theatre on January 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Also Read More: The Trailer For Showtime’s Rick James Documentary Has Arrived

Meanwhile, the award-winner’s late brother, Charlie Murphy, famously revisited his story of hanging out with Rick James. It was told via Chappelle’s Show and even hosted an appearance from James, who confirmed the hilarious recounting of the singer.

See the music video for Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time” below. Also, watch him talk about his Hollywood memories with Rick James and Michael Jackson above.

Michael Jackson Biopic Gets Green Light, Antoine Fuqua As Director

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Production company Lionsgate just greenlit a biopic on Michael Jackson’s life and artistry and found its director. Moreover, Antoine Fuqua will direct, who previously helmed Emanciption and Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers. As Deadline reports, the tentative title for the upcoming film is Michael.

VARIOUS, VARIOUS – JUNE 25: Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1986. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Additionally, the report shared some other details about the movie’s production and crew. John Logan (They/Them, Skyfall) will write the script, with production handled by Graham King of Bohemian Rhapsody for GK Films. Also, producers include co-executors of the King of Pop’s estate, John Branca and John McClain.

Furthermore, sources told Deadline that the upcoming film will cover the highs and lows of Jackson’s musical legacy. However, it also plans to address the accusations of pedophilia, grooming, and misconduct that have defined public discourse around him for years now.

Meanwhile, Fuqua will dive into Michael after production wraps up for his next film, The Equalizer 3 with Denzel Washington. Moreover, GK Films’ previous music biopic Bohemian Rhapsody raked in a whopping $900 million in worldwide gross sales. Still, that film was pretty polarizing, so Michael has big shoes to fill, but bigger ones to prove wrong.

“The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am,” said Fuqua. Before his breakout film Training Day in 2001, he started directing videos for Prince, Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder, and more.

“For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson,” he continued. “I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work – the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible.”

What do you think of the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic and its new director? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest news on music history in pop culture.

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Michael Jackson’s Three Kids Enjoy Snow Day

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Amid the holiday season, families everywhere are looking for good times to spend together, even the most famous ones. Michael Jackson’s three children Paris, Prince, and Bigi went for a snow day together in Tahoe.

WESTWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 27: In this handout photo provided by Mohamed Hadid, singer Michael Jackson (3rd R) poses with real estate developer Mohamed Hadid (3rd L), Hadid’s children and Jackson’s children Michael Joseph Jr. (L), Paris Michael Katherine (C) and Prince Michael II (2nd R) on November 27, 2008 at the Jackson Holmby Hills residence in Westwood, California. Michael Jackson spent his final days in the house that Hadid had originally built and that Jackson leased for $100,000 a month from the current owner. Hadid, who calls himself a close friend of Michael Jackson, spent some of Jackson’s last days with him and is now speaking out about Jackson’s health and state of mind during the last few weeks before his death. (Photo by Mohamed Hadid via Getty Images)

While people’s interest is natural, it also speaks to MJ’s lasting impact and influence as a pop culture icon. Moreover, his 1982 album Thriller returned to the Billboard Top 10 a couple of weeks ago.

Paris, 24, wore a brown puffer coat with a matching vest. She also donned another color combo: burgundy pants with gloves. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Prince wore a black jacket and trousers with a helmet-clad ski mask. Bigi, who is 20, also wore a black jacket and combined it with black trousers.

All in all, they had some fun times on December 26th. Moreover, Paris posted some clips to her Instagram story of some struggles on the snow. She fell off of her snowboard in the clip, captioning it with “Can’t stop… like properly.”

Even with all the fun and staying busy with projects, like Paris’s music career, they still remember their dad. On Halloween this year, Prince spoke to E! News about honoring the King of Pop’s legacy every day, as an artist and father.

“I have photos of him and the uncles inside my house,” he expressed, “I have artistic paintings of him around my house. I like to lead my life with love, which is what he taught me and I try to help at least one person a day and I feel like that is a way of continuing his legacy.”

Meanwhile, these children also have his music to cherish and celebrate his life through. Prince stated that he feels his father coming through in his music in a way that feels more intimate than you’d expect.

“I was given so many awesome nuggets of information when I had him with me as a father and he was also very personable in the way he wrote his music,” he said. “If you listen to it, there’s a lot of him in that. It’s awesome to put it on and feel connected to him again in that way.”

Did you have a snow day of your own this holiday season, famous family or not? Let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for more wholesome celebrity outings.

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Freddie Gibbs Says Michael Jackson Used To Beat His Dad In Talent Shows: “Mike Would F*** That N***a Up”

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Freddie Gibbs Responds to Gunna's Diss Tweet in a Series of Tweets

Freddie Gibbs is well known for his comedic skills and has even referenced Michael Jackson in interviews as well as music, as both of the artists are from Gary, Indiana. In a new interview on the All Of The Smoke podcast, Freddie Gibbs shared that his father used to compete against Michael Jackson at talent shows.

“Yeah, Michael Jackson used to beat my daddy’s ass in the talent shows,” Gibbs said. “My dad sing, my dad in The Chi-Lites, matter of fact. Him and Mike the same age, so they was always bumping heads in the talent shows and Mike would fuck that n***a up. I’m like, ‘Fuck you thought, n***a?’”

Gibbs added that his father, who was a singer in the Chi-Lites, used to go up on stage solo while Michael would bring the other members of the Jackson 5, and their father Joe Jackson.

“And I’m like, you up there solo,” he added. “He got Tito, Jermaine… They in step, they got moves, they got Joe, you know what I’m sayin’? They had Joe pushin’ them n****s. You ain’t had nobody, you just had yo mama telling you ‘Yes my baby!’ Mike had a team, n***a! He couldn’t fuck with Mike.”

Gibbs continued: “I love you Dad, but you know you can’t fuck with Mike. Mike was fuckin’ you up, your whole life. We be watching Michael Jackson, my dad like, ‘Turn that motherfuckin’ shit off.’ He be listening to it on the low though. That n***a love Mike.”

Despite his father having a musical background, Gibbs said that his father had no effect on him eventually becoming a rapper. In fact, Gibbs wanted to pursue football instead.

“I definitely didn’t plan on ending up being a fucking rapper,” he explained. “I definitely didn’t see that shit in the cards for me at that age.”

The post Freddie Gibbs Says Michael Jackson Used To Beat His Dad In Talent Shows: “Mike Would F*** That N***a Up” appeared first on The Source.

Akon Says That Michael Jackson Took Pills Leading Up To ‘This Is It’ Tour Because He Was “Too Damn Excited” To Sleep

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Akons Car Was Found After It Was Stolen From Atlanta Gas Station

Leading up to Michael Jackson’s death, it was reported that he was prescribed a cocktail of drugs to help him sleep. Jackson would later die from a lethal overdose of Propofol and benzodiazepines. Ahead of a new FoxTV documentary surrounding the untimely demise of the King Of Pop, Akon, a former friend of the entertainer, told The U.S. Sun, the reason why Michael couldn’t sleep.

Akon told the publication that Jackson’s work ethic was to blame for his demise, saying that he took pills because he was “too damn excited” for his tour to sleep.

“He was so happy and excited that he was about to go to London and lock these 50 dates in and remind the world who he was and what his value was to pop music,” Akon said. “He didn’t even sleep. That is why he was taking sleeping pills because he was too damn excited.”

Akon added that Michael would stay up for weeks because he would be thinking about how great of an experience he wanted to put on for his fans.

“He would be up for weeks at a time thinking about how he wanted everybody to have the most amazing experience, he wanted to create something that was going to be talked about for centuries. When you have that energy you don’t sleep. You are going to need help to get sleep because your mind is constantly moving and your energy and your flow [are] electric to the point where you cannot turn it off.”

Akon added that MJ always pushed himself to the limit and never compromised.

You can read the full story here.

The post Akon Says That Michael Jackson Took Pills Leading Up To ‘This Is It’ Tour Because He Was “Too Damn Excited” To Sleep appeared first on The Source.

Michael Jackson Wanted To Star In Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’ Decades Before It Became A Netflix Hit

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michael jackson songs removed
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Netflix’s The Sandman finally becoming a reality was a decade-long endeavor full of stops and starts. And apparently one of those almosts involved Michael Jackson starring in the Neil Gaiman adaptation in the late 1990s.

As Variety noted, Gaiman told a story on a podcast appearance in the aftermath of the show’s success on Netflix. Airing decades after the book’s release, the show has received high praise to say the least. But it could have been a completely different work if one early plan for the project ever came to fruition.

Gaiman appeared in the Happy Sad Confused podcast earlier this month and revealed that the biggest pop star in the world wanted to be in an early version of the now Netflix hit.

“By 1996, I was being taken to Warners, where the then-president of Warner Bros. sat me down and told me that Michael Jackson had phoned him the day before and asked him if he could star as Morpheus in ‘The Sandman,’” Gaiman said on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. “So, there was a lot of interest in this, and they knew that it was one of the Crown Jewels, and what did I think? And I was like, ‘Ooh.’”

Jackson did once turn to sand on television, so that all does kind of check out I suppose. But it obviously never came to be. For one, Jackson was touring around the world and at the apex of his music career. But the main reason is that an on-screen adaptation of The Sandman took decades to make after a series of stops and starts. Gaiman, for one, even tanked a bad script in development by leaking the details to an industry blog.

It’s unclear why exactly Jackson’s whims were not met here, but given everything that came after that phone call it’s probably for the best Gaiman bided his time and the show was made as it was.

Michael Jackson’s Most Iconic Moments To Remember On His 64th Birthday

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Michael Jackson

The late, great Michael Jackson would have turned 64 today, and fans worldwide have countless memories of him. Here are five iconic moments from the King of Pop’s life and career. 1. First TV Performance With The Jackson 5  Michael and his four brothers performed on August 22, 1969, at Madison Square Garden for the […]

The post Michael Jackson’s Most Iconic Moments To Remember On His 64th Birthday appeared first on SOHH.com.

Michael Jackson Fans Fume After ‘Rolling Stone’ Calls Harry Styles ‘The New King Of Pop’

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harry styles michael jackson king of pop
Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz

Love or hate Harry Styles’s music, there’s simply no denying that he’s got pop culture in a chokehold. His latest Harry’s House single, “As It Was,” throttled the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks in a row until being dethroned on the most recent chart by Nicki Minaj and still landed at No. 2 only losing less than a percent of its streams last week. Meanwhile, Harry’s House itself was a massive hit overall, with a jaw-dropping pure sales total (330,000) and over a half-million equivalent units in its first week.

But even with all those accolades to his name, there are plenty of folks who believe that Rolling Stone UK overstepped its bounds in calling Styles “the new King of Pop” — a title that was originally reserved for the one-and-only late, great Michael Jackson. And let’s keep all the way funky; however impressive Harry Styles’ current level of success is, it still pales in comparison to MJ’s heights, which may never be achieved again, even with the advent of streaming (or maybe because of it). Thriller is 34× Platinum certified by the RIAA and is still the best-selling album ever.

This is why it makes sense that there were those quick to shut down Rolling Stone‘s proclamation, including MJ’s nephew Taj Jackson, who settled the debate succinctly on Twitter, writing, “The title has been retired. No disrespect to Harry Styles, he’s mega talented. Give him his own unique title.” Plenty of others agreed with him, censuring Rolling Stone UK for its audacity.