Collaborators talk about Michael’s album

Eikon, Lenny Kravitz, Tricky Stewart, Neffiu, Teddy Riley, and Fifty Cent talk about working on the controversial Michael album. Before his death, Michael had contacted some of them to collaborate on a new album.Lenny Kravitz (I Can’t Make It Another Day): “I know Michael liked this song, so I’m happy with it. I’m honored that I was able to release it. I knew Michael was involved in the whole thing.” Tricky Stewart (producer): “Working on the album made me anxious. There was terrible pressure on me because Michael is one of the greatest songwriters in music history. Not only did we have to make sure we preserved the authenticity of the song, but we also had to stay focused and remain faithful to the body of work.” “I think he would have been proud of this album. If I didn’t think that, I wouldn’t have gotten involved at all.” “The songs came onto the album the way Michael wrote them. But it was our job to produce them and bring out the real potential of the songs.” Stewart first met Michael in 1983: “He would send things to the studio to put the ‘Michael Jackson’ stamp on them. What he sent was a game device. I was young and didn’t pay attention to anything. I started playing with the device and suddenly I heard a sound. That sound never leaves room for doubt. He said… ‘Those games are mine! You know that?’…” Stewart continues with a laugh: “He was so cool and kind… he let me keep playing.” Teddy Riley (producer): “The album is a masterpiece and it amazes everyone.” Neffiu (producer): “Michael wanted to give the world a gift. He didn’t want people to only have a trailer or a bad one or an ‘off the wall.’ He wanted to give them something new and fresh—something they could have forever and remember.” Fifty Cent (Monster): “I never get flustered because I don’t care about other artists. But with Michael, it’s different. I was anxious about meeting him.” Fifty Cent tried to rap in a way that people hadn’t heard from him before. Teddy Riley had told him that when Michael was writing “Monster,” he left part of it open for him. Fifty Cent rapped on this track. Michael wrote Fifty Cent’s name on the sheets for the song. Eikon (Hold My Hand): “This song was almost finished. The echo of his voice and the energy made the track completely different. We decided to record it as a duet and release it on his album. Because Michael gave more credibility to this song—and if it was Michael Jackson’s song, it would be even bigger and more successful.” Eikon asked fans to look at the album from another angle: “This isn’t a finished product that can be compared to Michael’s previous work. This album is a tribute to remembering Michael and praising him.” Claudie Kelly, who wrote Hold My Hand with Eikon, says: “Michael loved this song in every way.” Claudie originally wrote the song for Whitney Houston. But Eikon became so captivated by it that he kept it for himself. And then, to give the song more credibility, he shared it with Michael. Eikon released the song, and Michael said his voice needed to be recorded on this track because: “These are my own words. This is what I want to sing about.” Source: eMJey / hiphopdx.com / MTV / People