Latest on MJJC

Would Michael make a rap album?

Album? Probably not. I think MJ’s actual voice was pretty well-suited to rap, but I don’t think he would’ve ever actively pursued it.

But like OP said, I can 100% imagine him post-TII offering hooks or background vocals.
 
Michael Jackson was a singer who did not use swear words in his songs (with very few exceptions).
Click to expand...
You do realize he swore in scream
 
@Mister_Jay_Tee, @8701girl, the occasions in which Michael Jackson swears (in his songs) are a drop in the ocean compared to his entire discography.

Michael Jackson used to release generally family-friendly music which did not contain explicit language/swear words.

Michael Jackson generally had a clean image in his lyrics because:

- he wanted his music to have a universal appeal

- because of his upbringing (Joseph Jackson taught his children, including Michael Jackson, to keep a clean image as artists)

- and because of having been raised in an Jehovah's Witnesses environment
 
I'm not gonna argue that, it's just largely irrelevant to the point entirely. MJ loved hip-hop
 
Thatkliqkid said:
HIStory is nearly all about the allegations.
I'd argue the only songs on the album not about the allegations are Earth Song, Come Together, You are not alone, Little Susie and Smile.
Click to expand...
Yes maybe, but it's too vague to really know:

Scream: about the press in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
TDCAU: about injustice in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Stranger in Moscow: about loneliness in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations (even if it was written during that time)
This Time Around: about paranoia and blackmailing in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Earth Song: about nature in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations

D.S. : yes, so this one is actually pretty clearly about the allegations!

Money: is about the evil of money (but also about making money in an honest way: the American Dream), nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Childhood: about his childlike behaviour in general. This is somewhat new for MJ but still not really about the allegations of that time!
Tabloid Junkie: about the press in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
2 Bad: about the press in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
History: motivational song, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Little Susie: about a murdered girl, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Smile: motivational song, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations


So to me it's pretty much the same as every other MJ album. It does rub against the allegations and is sometimes about him explaning his story, but not nearly enough to call it a concept album
 
mj_frenzy said:
@Mister_Jay_Tee, @8701girl, the occasions in which Michael Jackson swears (in his songs) are a drop in the ocean compared to his entire discography.

Michael Jackson used to release generally family-friendly music which did not contain explicit language/swear words.

Michael Jackson generally had a clean image in his lyrics because:

- he wanted his music to have a universal appeal

- because of his upbringing (Joseph Jackson taught his children, including Michael Jackson, to keep a clean image as artists)

- and because of having been raised in an Jehovah's Witnesses environment
Click to expand...
Before the rise of hip hop, it wasn't that common for profanity to be on anybody's records except on comedy albums (called "party records") like Richard Pryor & Rudy Ray Moore. Earlier recording artists generally used double entendres (Big 10 Inch Record, Please Please Me, It's Tight Like That, I Wanna Hot Dog For My Roll, etc.) in their music instead of explicit words like today. Although there were some exceptions like Lucille Bogan in the 1930s, but she was not mainstream. It has nothing to do with Jehovah's Witnesses or having family friendly records. Maybe more to do with the FCC, profanity would not get played on the radio or it was bleeped out. Society in general was different than today. Also just because a song doesn't have profanity does not mean it's family friendly. There's none in Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye, but I don't think that was made for children. 😂

Older movies (especially before the 1970s) generally did not have profanity either, because of the Hays Code. When theatrical movies were played on regular broadcast TV they were edited. When pay cable networks came along, they showed the movies like they originally were.
 
Smooth72 said:
Will Smith sucks 😂
Click to expand...

Victorious said:
Yes maybe, but it's too vague to really know:

Scream: about the press in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
TDCAU: about injustice in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Stranger in Moscow: about loneliness in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations (even if it was written during that time)
This Time Around: about paranoia and blackmailing in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Earth Song: about nature in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations

D.S. : yes, so this one is actually pretty clearly about the allegations!

Money: is about the evil of money (but also about making money in an honest way: the American Dream), nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Childhood: about his childlike behaviour in general. This is somewhat new for MJ but still not really about the allegations of that time!
Tabloid Junkie: about the press in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
2 Bad: about the press in general, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
History: motivational song, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Little Susie: about a murdered girl, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations
Smile: motivational song, nothing new for MJ and isn't specifically about the allegations


So to me it's pretty much the same as every other MJ album. It does rub against the allegations and is sometimes about him explaning his story, but not nearly enough to call it a concept album
Click to expand...
There's lyrics in nearly every song on History that can be interpreted as being linked to the allegations.
 
Victorious said:
Yes, 'can be'.. Almost just as much as the songs he recorded before the allegations
Click to expand...
There are only 2 songs pre HIStory about the press and the media. Really only one, and a music video. I have no idea what you're talking about.
 
Victorious said:
Yes, 'can be'.. Almost just as much as the songs he recorded before the allegations
Click to expand...
Such as what?

I don't really see how else you could interpret certain lyrics from the History album as being about anything other than the 1993 allegations.

Scream "The lies are disgusting"
TDCA "I'm tired of being the victim of shame, they're throwing me in a class with a bad name"
Stranger in Moscow "swift and sudden fall from grace"
This time around "You really want to use me and then falsely accuse me (accuse me)"
DS Just the whole song
Money Again mainly the whole song
Childhood "People say I'm strange that way"
 
Mister_Jay_Tee said:
There are only 2 songs pre HIStory about the press and the media. Really only one, and a music video. I have no idea what you're talking about.
Click to expand...

Yes so he did it before, nothing new really. Him complaining about the media was nothing novel at the time, it sure doesn't make History a concept album about the allegations

Don't forget 'Why You Wanna Trip On Me' and 'Price of Fame' btw
 
Thatkliqkid said:
Such as what?

I don't really see how else you could interpret certain lyrics from the History album as being about anything other than the 1993 allegations.

Scream "The lies are disgusting"
TDCA "I'm tired of being the victim of shame, they're throwing me in a class with a bad name"
Stranger in Moscow "swift and sudden fall from grace"
This time around "You really want to use me and then falsely accuse me (accuse me)"
DS Just the whole song
Money Again mainly the whole song
Childhood "People say I'm strange that way"
Click to expand...
Very good post.

As for the answering the thread title. I think it would have been a stupid idea to make a rap album when you can actually carry a melody vocally. In fact purely vocally MJ was able to transform a song and blow his duet partners out of the water. Why would we want him to rap? Also does he have enough interesting things to say to make a heavy lyrics based album? I doubt it.
 
Victorious said:
Yes so he did it before, nothing new really. Him complaining about the media was nothing novel at the time, it sure doesn't make History a concept album about the allegations

Don't forget 'Why You Wanna Trip On Me' and 'Price of Fame' btw
Click to expand...
I didn't forget. If I wasn't including WYWTOM then There's ZERO songs about the media.

And we never heard Price of Fame before 2012
 
filmandmusic said:
I think it would have been a stupid idea to make a rap album when you can actually carry a melody vocally. In fact purely vocally MJ was able to transform a song and blow his duet partners out of the water.
Click to expand...
Why sing verses when you can just spit the bars?

Objectively MJ rapped most of his melodies in the strictest sense of the word.
 
Thatkliqkid said:
Such as what?

I don't really see how else you could interpret certain lyrics from the History album as being about anything other than the 1993 allegations.

Scream "The lies are disgusting"
TDCA "I'm tired of being the victim of shame, they're throwing me in a class with a bad name"
Stranger in Moscow "swift and sudden fall from grace"
This time around "You really want to use me and then falsely accuse me (accuse me)"
DS Just the whole song
Money Again mainly the whole song
Childhood "People say I'm strange that way"
Click to expand...



I see what you mean but to me (as a non native English speaker) it was way too ambivalent and I still think so tbh. Even if it was about the allegations, and I do agree with you on some lyrics, it's just so murky as a total; sometimes the raps distract from that perceived meaning or the videos (space, Brazil?). Also Janet, I don't know, to me it just feels like he wanted a duet again.. What is Trump doing on Money? Is TDCAU really about him (two children?)? If it is about the allegations it's so watered down to a potpourri of family entertainment it it's pretty much like any other MJ album. And to me that's a missed opportunity; it could be such a classic if it was purely a concept album

Anyway that were my two cents



PS. You Are Not Alone, Earth Song, Little Susie, Smile, Come Together and even History should be on totallly other album tbh
 
Mister_Jay_Tee said:
I didn't forget. If I wasn't including WYWTOM then There's ZERO songs about the media.

And we never heard Price of Fame before 2012
Click to expand...

That MJ was not on good terms with the media was public knowledge, and the video for 'Leave me Alone' did most for that I guess. Also MJ's image of being a bit preachy and mad since like forever, made the 'media tracks' on History nothing special

Well at least to me, lol
 
Victorious said:
That MJ was not on good terms with the media was public knowledge, and the video for 'Leave me Alone' did most for that I guess. Also MJ's image of being a bit preachy and mad since like forever, made the 'media tracks' on History nothing special

Well at least to me, lol
Click to expand...
It's true that the formula was similar in the long term but it was far more novel, than the decade long career of the J5 and the majority of the Quincy Trilogy. Anyway, stuff like Heartbreak Hotel and Billie Jean were already more anxious anyway and people still loved those.

None of this has to do with the main topic anyway though. Derailing.
 
jdogg7716 said:
Eminem in my opinion is the best rapper ever. MJ could’ve tried to rap, but I think he was mainly built for pop.
Click to expand...
i think Treach is the best rapper ever and then Nas. ....and then ..DMX ... and then maybe the Bone thugs. Then later DMX... I prefered Proof to Eminiem. D12 were okay. I love that Michael collaborated with treach on jam. I think She Drives me Wild proves m had it.
 
wendijane said:
i think Treach is the best rapper ever and then Nas. ....and then ..DMX ... and then maybe the Bone thugs. Then later DMX... I prefered Proof to Eminiem. D12 were okay. I love that Michael collaborated with treach on jam.
Click to expand...
Have you heard Kendrick?
 
wendijane said:
Ah. not heard too much from this one to be honest
Click to expand...
You gotta. He's definitely the greatest in the game right now. Section.80, Good Kid Mad City, To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN, and Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. All mammoth records.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top