For the latest edition of i-D Magazine, Kanye West interviewed Pharrell Williams and offered a glance into both of their genius qualities.

The two superstars have been linked to each other for years. They’re both incredible producers. They both have transitioned seamlessly into becoming top artists. And they’re both super influential in the fashion world, as well. Their most recent chat centered on a number of topics, but some of the most interesting excerpts come from West as he compares both himself and Pharrell to the King of Pop.

“It felt like you really tore down the walls and the doors much like Michael Jackson did a generation before,” says West about Pharrell. “In a way, he’s very similar to Michael Jackson, in the ways where Michael Jackson was doing covert, super gangsta stuff, like he’d just pop the needles off. He kissed Elvis Presley’s daughter on MTV. Black culture used to be… we used to be fronting all night, but Michael was doing stuff that was different to what we were programmed to understand as being what we should do. He bought The Beatles’ back catalogue. That was Mike Jackson, right there.”

Pharrell was taken aback by the kind words. 

“Wow. That was quite a compliment, I mean… I’m speechless,” he replied. “But I wasn’t alone, you know? There were so many of us, whether people know us by name or not. And we all realised there were far more archetypes available to us than the media was allowing at that time. We were just like, ‘What about us?’ We’re not in one particular box. We happen to be pluralist. I see you continuing to do the same thing. You’re really the real thing. The real thing. I mean that. You can create something that you’ve seen so clearly in your mind. I think that is essentially the promise of all human experience.”

Kanye West also feels like he can be compared to Michael Jackson, but it’s more for the way the media has scrutinized him over and over again.

“We should have something that says we can’t allow any company to tear down our heroes. Not on The Shade Room, not on social media and especially not in documentaries,” said Kanye. “I’m like every time the media isn’t happy with me it’s like, ‘Here they go. They’re gonna come and Wacko Jacko me.’ Which in some ways, they’ve tried to do.”

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The murder of George Floyd has elicited reactions from people of all walks of life, including pop icon Madonna. The singer has been a focus of conversation after sharing her puzzling "Quarantine Diaries" on Instagram, and on Thursday, Madonna posted a three-and-a-half-minute video of her son, David Banda, dancing in tribute to Floyd. David is seen showing off Madonna's good friend Michael Jackson moves as he dances to the late icon's controversial song, "They Don't Care About Us."

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"As news of George Floyds brutal murder travels around the world my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America," Madonna wrote in a caption to the clip. She ended her message with the hashtags "#davidbanda #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #MichaelJackson."

It didn't take long for the video to trend on Twitter, and even Guapdad 4000 to weigh in with a joke. "Madonna your sons dance has cured the world of all racism thank you for those impeccable moves," the rapper wrote. "I can’t imagine what the frick we would do with out it !!" While people have commended the pop icon for her addition to raising awareness, some people have claimed that she missed the mark. Check out the video for yourself and read through a few reactions below.

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brutal murder travels around the world my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America. #davidbanda #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #MichaelJackson

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on May 28, 2020 at 6:58am PDT

Petunia SZN is upon us. Teyana Taylor recently announced that her forthcoming album, The Album, drops next month, and now she’s giving fans a sneak peek into what she’s been working on. On Thursday (May 14), Teyana shared a clip of the music video for what is shaping up to be her next hit single, “Bare Wit Me.” Her dancing skills are undeniable, so it’s unsurprising to see Teyana Taylor showcasing her fancy footwork for the visual.

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We may not know what the “Bare Wit Me” video will look like in its entirety, but in the clip that Teyana shared to social media, she’s giving an obvious nod to Michael Jackson. She shares the stage with four other dancers as they’re all dressed in artwork-come-to- life garb that mirrors looks from the King of Pop. The look also pays homage to Janet Jackson who dressed in a similar vintage zoot suit for her music video to “Alright” from her 1989 album, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814.

Teyana Taylor recently conducted a Q&A session where she spoke about what listeners can expect from The Album.  “We’ve been working on the album. The album is done – that’s why I look crazy right now,” she said. “Before I got on with y’all, we literally just did the listening of the album. Y’all gonna be so happy… This album is definitely more of a vibe. I don’t really do fast songs like that. There are some head-boppers. It’s not super-fast—you can dance and you can cry and you can ride.”

Watch her clip of “Bare Wit Me” below.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tens of millions of people's lives to come to a screeching halt. Jobs are being furloughed, people are being laid off, parents are finding themselves homeschooling their children for the first time, and there's no telling when kids will be allowed to return to school. Government officials are doing their best to have life return to some sense of normalcy, but it's clear that whatever comes out of this pandemic will be the "new normal."

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TrueExclusives is using the #HealTheWorldChallenge to help fundraise for NoKidHungry. 1 in 4 children in the United States could face hunger this year because of the coronavirus and with our help, we can make a difference. Every dollar donated to NoKidHungry can feed a child up to 10 healthy meals. Donate here: http://join.nokidhungry.org/goto/TrueExclusives

A post shared by TrueExclusives (@trueexclusives) on May 9, 2020 at 4:26pm PDT

To help spread a little love and light during this time, dozens of singers have joined together to sing Michael Jackson's megahit "Heal The World." The collaboration features a special appearance by the late icon's nephew TJ Jackson as well as platinum-selling artists Brandy, Deborah Cox, Chrisette Michele, Cece Peniston, Chante Moore, and Q. Parker of 112. Other participants include Traci Braxton, Amina Buddafly, Oli, Avery Wilson, Dondria, Stevie Mackey, Brian Angel of Day 26, Carvena, Lydia Caesar, Devin Velez, Tre Burwell, Sleeping Sunset, Amber Claire, Brave Williams, J. Brown, Heidi Jutras, Antonique Smith, Jawan Jackson, and NBDY.

The "HealTheWorldChallenge" is aimed to help No Kid Hungry, according to Silent, the creator of TrueExclusives and producer of the Heal the World video. Listen to these powerhouse vocalists do Michael Jackson proud in the #HealTheWorldChallenge.

A verdict from 2017 that was ruled in favor of Quincy Jones against the estate of Michael Jackson has been overturned in the appellate court. Quincy Jones previously argued that he wasn’t paid all of his royalties from “the ‘This Is It’ concert film, two Cirque du Soleil shows and other revenue streams that followed Jackson’s death in 2009,” according to Variety. In 2017, Jones took Michael Jackson’s estate to court asking for $30 million, and after a two-week trial, the music legend was awarded $9.4 million.

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However, the estate appealed the decision and on Tuesday (May 5), the verdict was overturned. Variety reports that the three-judge panel found that the first judge “had allowed the jury to misinterpret Jones’ contract” without direction or an understanding of what they were reading. A reevaluation of what Quincy Jones should have earned left him with a $2.6 million judgment instead of $9.4 million.

Following the new ruling, Howard Weitzman, the lawyer for Michael Jackson’s estate, issued a statement. “Quincy Jones was the last person we thought would try to take advantage of Michael Jackson by filing a lawsuit three years after he died asking for tens of millions of dollars he wasn’t entitled to,” Weitzman said. “We knew the verdict was wrong when we heard it, and the court of appeal has completely vindicated us. From the beginning this was an attempt to take advantage of Michael knowing he wasn’t here to defend himself.”

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It’s difficult to lose a parent at any age, but Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., or Prince, is hoping that he’s making his father proud. There are a number of famous faces lending their resources and platforms to help the less fortunate during this COVID-19 pandemic, including Prince Jackson whose charity, Heal Los Angeles, has teamed up with Fresh N Lean to distribute meals to those in need. 

“I would like to think that [my dad would be] be very proud, because I think this was one of his main goals — not only to spread his message of positivity and happiness, but to see it enacted in his kids,” Prince shared with Entertainment Tonight. “As a father, I think that’s what you want to do when you raise kids. You’re preparing them for the world and the type of person they’re going to be.”

He also credits his upbringing for why he’s so actively involved with charitable work. “I’m very grateful that I have this feeling that it’s this collaborative ecosystem — we all need to help each other — and that came from the way that he raised us,” Prince added. “I was very fortunate to have him as a father. I had a lot of unique experiences growing up, and what I’m trying to do with my platform and the non-profit or the charity organization is to share those experiences.”

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With all of the real-life Verzuz battles that have recently stormed our timelines, it was only a matter of time before fans began imagining match-ups that we’ll sadly never see. Yet, the forbidden question has been presented: Who would take the Instagram Live Battle crown in a head-to-head music bout between Michael Jackson and Prince?

The pair of icons were born just months apart and went on to become two of the most celebrated musicians in history. Their lives were fraught with controversies—albeit vastly different—and they both left us far too soon. Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest as a result of a combination of drugs in his system, while Prince passed away from an accidental overdose. Even with the tragic circumstances surrounding the ends of both their lives, it’s how they lived, the art they created, and the music they made that remains their lasting legacies.

Someone has imagined what a Live Battle between these greats would look like, and even laid out what songs would face-off. People are asked to fill out which song would win each round, or if it would be a tie. Of course, the song choices could be moved around, but the question still remains: Who would come out as the winner? Michael Jackson or Prince? Check out the photo below and let us know what you think.

Def Jam legend and hip hop icon LL Cool J has an entertainment career that many artists envy. He stepped into the music scene back in the  1980s when he was just a teenager looking to use his talents to impress the ladies, and decades later, the happily married father is a hip hop entrepreneur with career longevity that millions admire.

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LL Cool J gave a quarantined, social distancing interview with Complex recently and spoke about his journey in the industry and what it was like to help pave the way for many artists that we love today. In 1987, LL released his sophomore album Bigger and Deffer, and with the project came one of his beloved classics, “I Need Love.” It was one of the first hip hop songs where a rapper dropped bars over a smooth R&B beat and spit lyrics about romance. That seems like the norm now, but back then, it was a breakthrough in hip hop. 

“I put that love and that female..that vibe in there that gives dudes a lane,” LL Cool J to Complex. “People compare me to Drake all the time, but we’re very different artists because I have a lot of hard records. I’m very diverse, but in that aspect of my career, it paved the way for guys like that, which I’m happy for. I like a lot of his music too.”

This isn’t the first time that LL has made a statement like that. Back in 2011, LL Cool J spoke with MTV News on the red carpet for the BET Awards where he said something similar. “It’s pretty obvious that what Dr. Dre and N.W.A did for gangsta rap music, I did for romantic music and music with females,” the rapper said prior to receiving the I Am Hip Hop Lifetime-Achievement Award that year.

“I basically started a section of a genre and created it and put it out there, and now lots of people are doing it. I think it’s great,” he said back then. “The more, the better. It’s better than downing them and telling [women] they ain’t nothing… So I’m happy for [Drake] and I’m glad he decided to go that lane, and I wish everybody the best.” Watch LL Cool J’s interview with Complex below to see what else the hip hop icon had to say about meeting 50 Cent before the fame and holding onto advice he received from Michael Jackson.

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Last night, as we reported, two OG singers, Babyface and Teddy Riley, went head-to-head in a brand new Instagram Live battle. The battle almost didn’t happen too, after it was plagued with technical difficulties, but eventually things got off the ground and the culture was all the better for it. The live session reportedly brought in 3 million eyes, and had Toni Braxton providing additional commentary on twitter, too.

Besides for going through their respective catalog of hits though, Babyface let some interesting news slip during the session. As the two played songs, they also shared some facts about each record. After Riley played one of his record that sampled Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” Babyface recalled that one time that Michael Jackson reportedly asked him to connect him to the actress Halle Berry.

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The 62-year old singer revealed, “One time Michael called me. Michael said, ‘Babyface!’ I said, ‘Yeah?’ He said, ‘Do you know who Halle Berry is? Do you know Halle Berry?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I know Halle Berry.’ He said, ‘Could you do me a favor? I want you to call her, ’cause I wanna take her out on a date.’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Call her — I wanna take her out on a date.’”

Babyface continued the story, “So I reached out through the agent, ’cause I didn’t have Halle Berry’s number. So I called and get the message to her manager, and he said, ‘What?’ [I said,] ‘Yeah, he wants to take her out on a date.’ And then I was waiting to hear back from Halle, and I can’t tell you exactly what Halle said, but I imagine it probably would have been something like this…”, he trailed off, before sliding in an audio clip from Halle Berry’s 1992 flick Boomerang, where she says: “You know, what do you know about love? What do you possibly think you know about love?”

Can you imagine? Halle Berry and MJ boo’d up?

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The Last Dance is the documentary that has sports fans tuned in to all things Chicago basketball. ESPN first announced the series nearly two years ago and over the weekend, we finally received the first two episodes. The series focuses on the Chicago Bulls during their 1997-1998 season where they were not only dominating the NBA, but experiencing the last year basketball icon Michael Jordan played as a Bull. The "Greatest of All Time" discussion once again resurfaced, causing fans to break out their Twitter fingers over who is a better baller between M.J. and Lebron James.

Another M.J. who has carved out his name in NBA history is Magic Johnson, and he took to Twitter to share a few thoughts of his own. "Michael Jordan’s Last Dance was fantastic and I loved all two hours of it!! Young fans that never got to see Michael play now understand why he’s the Goat of basketball!" the Los Angeles Lakers legend tweeted.

Magic Johnson went on to name his top entertainers, and he made sure to narrow down the timeframe. "For me? Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé are the three greatest entertainers of my lifetime; and you could probably throw Muhammad Ali in there." Do you agree with him? Who are your top three (or four) entertainers (of your lifetime)?