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Will.i.am & Akon Continue To Disagree Over Jackson Album

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http://www.accesshollywood.com/will...over-michael-jacksons-new-album_article_40163


Will.i.am & Akon Continue To Disagree Over Jackson Album

FIRST PUBLISHED: November 22, 2010 4:27 PM EST

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Akon might be singing the praises of Michael Jackson’s upcoming new album, but Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am told Access Hollywood he believes the late singer wouldn’t be happy with the music.

“Me and Michael were close, we worked together for three years and I remember him calling me on the phone upset that a song had leaked, a song was released…he was upset about that,” will.i.am told Access’ Shaun Robinson at the 2010 American Music Awards on Sunday, referring to “Hold My Hand,” a duet with Akon. “All the songs that are coming out now were around when he was alive, so why didn’t he put them out then? He was a perfectionist, and this might be a Michael Jackson album, but it’s not Michael Jackson’s album.”

Shaun also asked about will.i.am’s verbal spat with Akon over the album, after the Peas singer Entertainment Weekly that releasing the Jackson album was “disrespectful.”

Akon responded to the criticism, telling TMZ, “I don’t see anything disrespectful about it. He got his people taking care of it. We all did records that we actually worked on together on the album. These records would have come out whether he was alive or dead, so I think this actually to helps keep his legacy alive.”

“You had that gentlemen’s disagreement with Akon?” Shaun asked.

“No, he had a disagreement… I had an alignment with Michael Jackson and he was upset that that song was leaked,” will.i.am told Shaun. “I was close to [Michael] and he was upset about it, so disagree, or not agree… he was upset.”

The late singer’s album, “MICHAEL,” will drop on December 14.
 
I think that Will.i.am needs to wake up a little bit ... Michael would have wanted this for his fans.
 
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.ns...-executives-for-jackson-album-release_1185767


Veteran music producer QUINCY JONES has blasted record executives behind the release of the first posthumous MICHAEL JACKSON album, insisting the King of Pop would not have wanted his unfinished songs to hit shelves.


Bosses at Sony are preparing for the December (10) release of Michael, which features previously unheard Jackson material, and have unveiled Akon collaboration Hold My Hand as the first single.



But 77-year-old Jones, the famed producer behind Jackson's Off the Wall and Thriller albums, is convinced the King of Pop would never want fans to hear his songs without his "final touches" - because he was too much of a perfectionist.



And he's blasted money-hungry record label executives for cashing in on the legend's untimely death.



Jones tells UsMagazine.com, "It seems like everybody is trying to put everything out that they can with him. I don't understand it. It's all to make money. He wouldn't have wanted it to come out this way. They must just be trying to make as much money as they can. I don't know why else they are doing it.



"He wouldn't have wanted anything out there he didn't put his final touches on."



The posthumous album will also feature tracks with 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz. Jackson died in June 2009.
 
I am so tired of all this bickering between people who worked with Michael, fans arguing with each other, his family negativity and such.

It's hard enough Michael not being here. It's hard enough Michael not promoting his album but all these people are driving me crazy. I was looking forward to something and the experience for me as a fan is being ruined. I don't know what Michael would have wanted with regards to his music. But I don't think he would want to see what has been going on the last few weeks especially. "It's not Michael on the album, it is Michael on the album. Michael wouldn't want this or Michael would want that".

I wish Michael was here. I miss him.
 
marebear said:
I am so tired of all this bickering between people who worked with Michael, fans arguing with each other, his family negativity and such.

It's hard enough Michael not being here. It's hard enough Michael not promoting his album but all these people are driving me crazy. I was looking forward to something and the experience for me as a fan is being ruined. I don't know what Michael would have wanted with regards to his music. But I don't think he would want to see what has been going on the last few weeks especially. "It's not Michael on the album, it is Michael on the album. Michael wouldn't want this or Michael would want that".

I wish Michael was here. I miss him.
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I miss him too.. tremendously
 
In one way I understand where they're coming from. If Michael was still here, he wouldnt have wanted the albums out...which I think is true. But this is the case, He is not here however Much WE WISH HE WAS HERE WITH US!!! So the next best thing is to release songs that he worked on with ppl. Even though I KNOW it wont be to Michael's and our(fans) standards, We should be glad that we are going to hear Michael's Voice again and that SINGLE fact only keeps me going. If ppl. dont agree with it, thats fine but thats the way it is.

It kinda piss me off that we are still talking about the album when we have Bigger FISH To catch! Honestly, I'm tired of HE said, He said thing! :smilerolleyes::scratch:


L.o.v.e.
Romi
 
cgrimberg said:
I think that Will.i.am needs to wake up a little bit ... Michael would have wanted this for his fans.
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I think that if Will was that close to Michael he would have known that Michael loved his fans more than anything, and I don't think he would have deprived us from listening to his unreleased material. Besides if Michael had any problem with unreleased material being out, he would have specified it on his will. That will was very detailed. Michael I'm sure had many instructions for everyone involved. And I honestly cannot believe that Michael's wishes would have been to never release any new material. That is just my opinion, of course.

Another thing, like Akon mentioned, all these songs were worked on by ppl he knew and respected. They knew how Michael would have wanted things and they tried to do their best keeping Michael's upmost standards of quality and craftmanship.

I just don't know why they just try to spoil everything. We miss him, we just want to hear his voice again in new music. What is so wrong about that?

And, furthermore, every legend that passes away goes through the same thing. Michael is not the first one to have his likeness marketed. I think so far everything the estate has done has been of the upmost respect to Michael and his legacy. Besides they need to make the most money to be able to retire his debt. What are they to do. Just let Sony buy the 50% of his catalog and be done with it? Now, don't you think Michael would have been furious about that? So these ppl like Will. and Q.Jones should just think before they spout off again. They don't know how complicated all of this is.
 
"It may be a Michael Jackson album, but its not Michael Jackson's album"


Thats a great quote
 
marebear said:
I am so tired of all this bickering between people who worked with Michael, fans arguing with each other, his family negativity and such.

It's hard enough Michael not being here. It's hard enough Michael not promoting his album but all these people are driving me crazy. I was looking forward to something and the experience for me as a fan is being ruined. I don't know what Michael would have wanted with regards to his music. But I don't think he would want to see what has been going on the last few weeks especially. "It's not Michael on the album, it is Michael on the album. Michael wouldn't want this or Michael would want that".

I wish Michael was here. I miss him.
Click to expand...
This post is the truth but the bigger problem is michaels didnt say what he wanted in his will so the estate has to do its best and fans are gonna grumble
 
tricia70 said:
I think that if Will was that close to Michael he would have known that Michael loved his fans more than anything, and I don't think he would have deprived us from listening to his unreleased material. Besides if Michael had any problem with unreleased material being out, he would have specified it on his will. That will was very detailed. Michael I'm sure had many instructions for everyone involved. And I honestly cannot believe that Michael's wishes would have been to never release any new material. That is just my opinion, of course.

Another thing, like Akon mentioned, all these songs were worked on by ppl he knew and respected. They knew how Michael would have wanted things and they tried to do their best keeping Michael's upmost standards of quality and craftmanship.

I just don't know why they just try to spoil everything. We miss him, we just want to hear his voice again in new music. What is so wrong about that?

And, furthermore, every legend that passes away goes through the same thing. Michael is not the first one to have his likeness marketed. I think so far everything the estate has done has been of the upmost respect to Michael and his legacy. Besides they need to make the most money to be able to retire his debt. What are they to do. Just let Sony buy the 50% of his catalog and be done with it? Now, don't you think Michael would have been furious about that? So these ppl like Will. and Q.Jones should just think before they spout off again. They don't know how complicated all of this is.
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This is a good point. Also, if Michael was absolutely opposed to releasing any unfinished songs, then why did he release demos on his compilation albums when he was still alive?

Certainly, in some instances he was ok with unfinished material being released while he was alive. Perhaps he he would also support the release of "Michael", given the circumstances and his love for his fans.
 
magiktori said:
This post is the truth but the bigger problem is michaels didnt say what he wanted in his will so the estate has to do its best and fans are gonna grumble
Click to expand...


It's like every time something important is happening with Michael people whether it be family, friends or just anybody says or does something to be negative. Every time. Even when he got his lifetime grammy his brother had to whine about something. As a fan I don't know what to do anymore. My loyalty and support is with Michael not any of these people. I hope that doesn't sound bad but I just know I am on Michael's side.
 
Look MJ probably wouldn't have wanted this stuff released as "new" material promoted as an album. BUT if he really didn't want it released he could have easily put something in his will stating NOT to release anything. I think at the end of the day his estate are in charge and he put those people in charge. Most of the money goes to his kids, his legacy will secure their financial future, therefore I think he would be ok with it.
 
I think all three should STFU and crawl back in their hole
 
marebear said:
It's like every time something important is happening with Michael people whether it be family, friends or just anybody says or does something to be negative. Every time. Even when he got his lifetime grammy his brother had to whine about something. As a fan I don't know what to do anymore. My loyalty and support is with Michael not any of these people. I hope that doesn't sound bad but I just know I am on Michael's side.
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i'm with you
 
does Will.I.Am expect us to never hear new music from Mj ever again ?
 
They're both right, really. Michael was a perfectionist and wouldn't approve of the quality of most of the stuff coming out with his name on it. However, he sometimes let demos and unreleased tracks out (Ultimate Collection). Will.i.am and Akon are taking extreme sides though- I think a middle ground approach is probably something that we'd all be happier with.

Most of us would really like to hear everything Michael worked on and touched :) , but we'd like it done in a way that presents the material as what it is- unfinished works of genius :flowers: . To handle Michael's unreleased material very thoughtfully and respectfully I think is what the middle ground would be.
 
Screamin said:
does Will.I.Am expect us to never hear new music from Mj ever again ?
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Yes. That is basically what he is saying and that's why I have him on ignore. If Michael did not want the executors to make decisions concerning his music he would have said so. He left then in charge of his estate with the purpose of growing it and having it for the benefit of his children. Its funny how fans were complaining before Michael was released that Sony from now on would just be re-releasing old music. Now they are in an uproar over unheard songs and are only willing to accept songs such as HMH and others which were leaked when MJ was alive. As someone said, from now on if we get new music from here on out it will be tainted by those shouting "MJ wouldn't want this" or "Its not MJ".
 
yaazgurl said:
Yes. That is basically what he is saying and that's why I have him on ignore. If Michael did not want the executors to make decisions concerning his music he would have said so. He left then in charge of his estate with the purpose of growing it and having it for the benefit of his children. Its funny how fans were complaining before Michael was released that Sony from now on would just be re-releasing old music. Now they are in an uproar over unheard songs and are only willing to accept songs such as HMH and others which were leaked when MJ was alive. As someone said, from now on if we get new music from here on out it will be tainted by those shouting "MJ wouldn't want this" or "Its not MJ".
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I can honestly see it from both sides.

Just remember that fans are dealing with a lot right now. We're coping with the loss of Michael and not knowing how to deal with our feelings, and then on top of that so much new material and issues are inundating our world... and we really want to be part of it, but we're not sure how to do that, or even if we're ready for it. And I think that makes some fans even more conflicted- they're dealing with things they've never experienced before. I think we need to just cut ourselves and our fan family some slack and just be here for one another. Try to understand instead of getting frusterated with them :flowers: .
 
SmoothCollins said:
I can honestly see it from both sides.

Just remember that fans are dealing with a lot right now. We're coping with the loss of Michael and not knowing how to deal with our feelings, and then on top of that so much new material and issues are inundating our world... and we really want to be part of it, but we're not sure how to do that, or even if we're ready for it. And I think that makes some fans even more conflicted- they're dealing with things they've never experienced before. I think we need to just cut ourselves and our fan family some slack and just be here for one another. Try to understand instead of getting frusterated with them :flowers: .
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I know fans are dealing with a lot. I'm a fan too and no amount of new releases is ever going to replace Michael but what people like Wil I Am and others are doing is manipulating the fan base. I don't believe a word of what Wil I Am is saying and I would almost bet that if he had any finished work with MJ (i've heard he doesn't) that he wouldn't be so against the projects. In any case, I feel fans are being used by many and most are simply forgetting the arrangement that Michael made. He wanted the estate to last. How are you going to do that and not release new material and various projects. What has been going with this sabotage is carrying over into other projects that the estate is trying to do with people insisting that not only Sony but the estate shouldn't be supported either.
 
yaazgurl said:
I know fans are dealing with a lot. I'm a fan too and no amount of new releases is ever going to replace Michael but what people like Wil I Am and others are doing is manipulating the fan base. I don't believe a word of what Wil I Am is saying and I would almost bet that if he had any finished work with MJ (i've heard he doesn't) that he wouldn't be so against the projects. In any case, I feel fans are being used by many and most are simply forgetting the arrangement that Michael made. He wanted the estate to last. How are you going to do that and not release new material and various projects. What has been going with this sabotage is carrying over into other projects that the estate is trying to do with people insisting that not only Sony but the estate shouldn't be supported either.
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I know you're a fan- I definately wasn't questioning that :flowers: And I wasn't disagreeing with you either- I hear what you're saying about Will.I.Am. It just seemed like you a little frusterated with fans who are having mixed feelings about the new music, so I was just promoting patience with us as we figure out how to deal with our confused selves :p .
 
cgrimberg said:
I think that Will.i.am needs to wake up a little bit ... Michael would have wanted this for his fans.
Click to expand...

we don't know what Michael 'would have wanted'. when we say that 'would have wanted' we are only thinking of ourselves, the fans, not Michael. we can't project our thoughts onto somebody esle's thoughts. i don't care who we are.
 
yaazgurl said:
I know fans are dealing with a lot. I'm a fan too and no amount of new releases is ever going to replace Michael but what people like Wil I Am and others are doing is manipulating the fan base. I don't believe a word of what Wil I Am is saying and I would almost bet that if he had any finished work with MJ (i've heard he doesn't) that he wouldn't be so against the projects. In any case, I feel fans are being used by many and most are simply forgetting the arrangement that Michael made. He wanted the estate to last. How are you going to do that and not release new material What has been going with this sabotage is carrying over into other projects that the estate is trying to do with people insisting that not only Sony but the estate shouldn't be supported either.
Click to expand...

ask the beatles and elvis estates. no new material has ever been released from either of those, and both legacies are lasting. you don't need to release new material. you can rerelease old material, like they do with elvis and the beatles. so many fans have requested bad concert footage, and i for one, discovered a song i never heard before, that's old(be not always). it can be done, instead of trying to put together unfinished material, with somebody else's thoughts, other than Michael's. nobody ever tried to piece together something unfinished, from the beatles and make a new song out of it.that would have screwed up the beatles legacy, cus it wouldn't have been the beatles' thinking. when Michael bought the beatles catalogue, he bought completed lennon and mccartney songs. not songs written by someone outside the beatles, after the beatles broke up. otherwise, the catalogue wouldn't have any worth, as far as the beatles songs are concerned. so why would Michael want someone to do that to HIS material?
and we don't know the specifics of Michael's instructions on how to preserve the estate. if he just said 'preserve it any way you like', they could very easily destroy it, too. so, there's a possibility that he gave instructions we don't know about, that are as specific as him not putting it under the responsibility of his own mother, whom he loved, very much, but felt she wasn't the right one to take it over. just because he loved her, doesn't mean he thought she was the right one for the job. and, he always said, that he employed many, and they gave many ideas, but he always had the last specific word and made the final specific decision. so we don't really know what that entails. but he said he was hands on, with music, till the very end. otherwise, he could very well leave somebody else to be the final hands on, while he was alive. lennon and mccartney, and no other songwriter envisioned, someone else adding stuff to their material. why should people say that it's ok to add stuff to Michael's unfinished material. and why would Will I Am lie by saying Michael was upset by something?

the unfinished symphony was left unfinished, and is played before audiences to this day. whoever that composer was, is respected. MJ should get the same respect.

and before we say that an unfinished song should be played on the radio, unfinished. there is a difference between classical music and pop music.

there are new generations, everyday, discovering Off The Wall thru Invincible, and selling those to those generations, will help Michael's children, and not break the integrity of the estate.

and i wish that people who are for this album wouldn't think that we who are against it, control our own emotions, and are deliberately sabotaging the estate, when it comes to liking or not liking what music, or 'music' is released. because if that were the case, then, every new songwriter out there, would be really successful, because those songwriters would know to release material that everybody would like and buy, and never illegally download.

we don't control whether or not we like the song or 'song' that is released. the song or 'song' controls whether we like it or not.

that has been the case, througout the history of music. that's why Michael always said..'he does what the music tells him to do' or..'if i don't stink, it ain't funky'.

i hated everything about Prince. and i wanted to hate his music too, therefore. but i bought purple rain, because i couldn't stop myself.
 
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144 said:
ask the beatles and elvis estates. no new material has ever been released from either of those, and both legacies are lasting. you don't need to release new material. you can rerelease old material, like they do with elvis and the beatles. so many fans have requested bad concert footage, and i for one, discovered a song i never heard before, that's old(be not always). it can be done, instead of trying to put together unfinished material, with somebody else's thoughts, other than Michael's. nobody ever tried to piece together something unfinished, from the beatles and make a new song out of it.that would have screwed up the beatles legacy, cus it wouldn't have been the beatles' thinking. when Michael bought the beatles catalogue, he bought completed lennon and mccartney songs. not songs written by someone outside the beatles, after the beatles broke up. otherwise, the catalogue wouldn't have any worth, as far as the beatles songs are concerned. so why would Michael want someone to do that to HIS material?
and we don't know the specifics of Michael's instructions on how to preserve the estate. if he just said 'preserve it any way you like', they could very easily destroy it, too. so, there's a possibility that he gave instructions we don't know about, that are as specific as him not putting it under the responsibility of his own mother, whom he loved, very much, but felt she wasn't the right one to take it over. just because he loved her, doesn't mean he thought she was the right one for the job. and, he always said, that he employed many, and they gave many ideas, but he always had the last specific word and made the final specific decision. so we don't really know what that entails. but he said he was hands on, with music, till the very end. otherwise, he could very well leave somebody else to be the final hands on, while he was alive. lennon and mccartney, and no other songwriter envisioned, someone else adding stuff to their material. why should people say that it's ok to add stuff to Michael's unfinished material. and why would Will I Am lie by saying Michael was upset by something?

the unfinished symphony was left unfinished, and is played before audiences to this day. whoever that composer was, is respected. MJ should get the same respect.

and before we say that an unfinished song should be played on the radio, unfinished. there is a difference between classical music and pop music.
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very good point! :agree:
 
I think all they worked on this Album do the best he can, that it Sounds like MJ would like it. All now talking against this Album are jealousy, because they got nothing from this Project. I remember Will want also release something from the work he do with MJ but not jet. What is the problem that the Estate do it now??
 
A few months ago, when will.i.am said he didn't want to release songs he recorded with Michael, I was upset with him. I thought how selfish of him. He deprived fans chance to hear Michael in songs he recorded in his final years.

But, after the recent incidents, I start to realize will.i.am has his reason to not release the materials. He worked with Michael. He had first-hand knowledge on how Michael truly was as an artist and a perfectionist. Fans like us can only guess what Michael would have done. But, will.i.am actually worked with him. I don't think it's fair for us to trash will.i.am. will.i.am, as a producer and artist himself, has rights to his collaborations with Michael.

I'm afraid I'll be labelled as "negative" if I say this. Posthumous release is not the key to a lasting legacy. Like 144,000 said, John Lennon's legacy is lasting. Yet, I don't see Yoko Ono hired other producers to piece together John Lennon's demos and release it as a John Lennon song.

If the materials in Michael vaults are to be released, I hope the original demos, however raw and rough they are, are untouched by others. However, from business point of view, releasing demos and original outtakes make no sense becasue the market for such an album is not big enough. So, demos and outtakes will eventually be "modernized".... This to me feels like getting other artists to touch up Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa's Smile...

There is no right or wrong answer. The fans who are upset about the album really have valid concern. It's sad to see how some are unfairly perceived as negative or trouble makers. We all love Michael very much; hence, our passion on this discussion.
 
^^ You weren't negative. That was a very well thought out and reasoned reply. I like your comparison to touching up Mona Lisa- it puts things into perspective. I agree that there's no right or wrong in how fans feel- we're all here for MJ and love him the same. Good post! :)
 
I see both viewpoints too.

Question: Did Michael ever say something to the effect that his children would always be safe (financially) because of all his unreleased music in storage?

I feel like he did say something like that once, but I forget.
 
I think all this people should just shut up, go away and stop manipulating the fan base. What was supposed to be a healing moment for the fans is actually ruining the community because of all these people who think that they know what to do better than the rest of the world. well, news flash, all those people can say whatever they want, but it won't mean anything because Michael didn't put them in charge. The people he put in charge are managing the Estate and they should be the only people who matter, because now they represent Michael and his wishes.

And I don't agree with those who think that unreleased music should be shelved. Michael worked on a lot of things and there a lot of genius songs that didn't see the light of day not because Michael thought the songs are bad, but because they didn't fit the flow of the album or because he just didn't release any music at all at certain periods of his life. And I think the music should be released.

144 said:
ask the beatles and elvis estates. no new material has ever been released from either of those, and both legacies are lasting.
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actually you are wrong. there are at least 2 songs by the Beatles that I know of that were released in mid90s and it was a HUGE gift to the fans, those songs are "Free as a bird" and "Real love". They were finished by living Beatles after John Lennon's death.
 
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