Pharrell says tracks on Justin Timberlake's 'Justified' were originally made for Michael Jackson

[NatureCriminal7896]

Where would Justin Timberlake be today if Michael Jackson hadn’t passed on Justified?

In a new interview on the Revolt TV podcast Drink Champs, producer Pharrell Williams reminisced with NORE & DJ EFN about his storied career, including their Superthug collaboration and being rejected by both Prince and Michael Jackson.

“Michael turned us down too,” Pharrell shared, after telling the podcast hosts how Prince passed on one of his tracks.

NORE stepped in to share his memory of a call he had with Pharrell at the time. “You hit me and you said, ‘Yo I just sent Michael Jackson some beats,’” he recalled.

“John McClain was his manager at the time,” Pharrell continued. “We sent him pretty much all the stuff y’all are hearing on the Justified album. That’s all the Michael stuff.”

Justified is now best known as Justin Timberlake’s debut 2002 album. But according the Neptunes producer, all but one song was originally created for the King of Pop.

“All but one song, they were all written for Michael,” he said.

But Jackson wasn’t interested. Instead, he wanted something more like Pharrell’s iconic 1998 track with NORE.

“John McClain was like, 'Man Michael don’t want that s...,’” Pharrell remembered. “‘He want that s... you’re giving Noreaga….he want that ‘Superthug.’”

Elsewhere in the interview, Pharrell opened up about his feelings on the Drake vs Pusha T beef.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainmen...ichael-jackson

[IMWhizzle]

Such a shame. I can only imagine that Michael would be singing those tracks. These would be huge hits accompanied by amazing short films. The production of these songs a very much Michael like.

[Derek1984]

Some great songs. Last Night is so slept on. Lyrically, I'm not sure it really fit MJ though. MJ probably never even heard these beats, just the manager I am guessing.

[AlwaysThere]

I love that news outlets are picking this story up like it’s a brand new revelation. We’ve known this for years now!

Personally, I’m glad the beats were rejected. I like most of them, but I never want to see a Pharrell x MJ collaboration, ever.

[Zakk]

I love that news outlets are picking this story up like it’s a brand new revelation. We’ve known this for years now!

Personally, I’m glad the beats were rejected. I like most of them, but I never want to see a Pharrell x MJ collaboration, ever.

Yeah. Agreed. Maybe Michael & Bruno Mars. It would be a great money maker and I think Bruno is a great performer in his own right, he'd certainly do Michael justice. I like Pharrell's music but his name isn't as big in the biz these days.

[Nite Line]

I'm glad Michael rejected those songs. I don't think very highly of the songs on Justin's album.

[mj_frenzy]

It has been written that Michael Jackson’s managers when they received these songs from Pharrell Williams, they did not pass them to him (as they should have).

In other words, his managers rejected the songs unbeknownst to Michael Jackson (this means that Michael Jackson never listened to these songs that were meant for him).

This appears to be true because Pharrell Williams stated in another interview that Michael Jackson when he listened to the ‘Justified’ album (when that album came out) he liked the album’s songs.

In a phone conversation they later had together, Michael Jackson congratulated Pharrell Williams on his work on that album, and Pharrell Williams then told him that actually these songs were originally meant for him.

Upon hearing what Pharrell Williams told him, Michael Jackson expressed his frustration that he never got a chance to get these songs and to record them for his own, upcoming album.

[NatureCriminal7896]

Maybe Michael & Bruno Mars. It would be a great money maker and I think Bruno is a great performer in his own right, he'd certainly do Michael justice.

that can work if it haven't already.

[NatureCriminal7896]

justin timberlake was inspire and influence by michael so this doesn't really surprise me. nice to know though.

[IMWhizzle]

I love that news outlets are picking this story up like it’s a brand new revelation. We’ve known this for years now!

Personally, I’m glad the beats were rejected. I like most of them, but I never want to see a Pharrell x MJ collaboration, ever.

Chad Hugo was the mastermind behind their productions in that time. Chad has a great musical knowledge and is highly talented. He was the man behind the melodies and Pharrell was the one who did the rhythm sections. That combination was awesome. Listen to the instrumental of “Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears. It’s literally genius, the way that they respected sound as a whole. Also their production techniques back then brought back the analog instruments instead of the digital beats at that time.

If Michael would supervise them and co-produced those tracks it would be magic. Sure the lyrics are not sophisticated, but those were written for JT. Music first.

[lubyss]

Listen to the instrumental of “Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears. .

Slave 4 U was first written for Janet... She recorded her version but then she let it go... It would be nice to her her version of this great song...

[rumandraisin]

Rock Your Body would have been huge if by MJ. But not as huge as it was by Justin. The music world was changing and kids and teens wanted their own stars, MJ had a huge fan base in 2001 but the market was changing. And there's nothing wrong with that

[NatureCriminal7896]

Rock Your Body would have been huge if by MJ. But not as huge as it was by Justin. The music world was changing and kids and teens wanted their own stars, MJ had a huge fan base in 2001 but the market was changing. And there's nothing wrong with that

i agree. but at the same time it wouldn't work out anyway because around this same time You Rock My World was release. it wouldn't make sense for michael to have two songs that's basically the same being release a year after.

[NatureCriminal7896]

Michael was in his 40's around this time. he wasn't that old but like rumandraisin said yeah, kids and teenagers wanted their own stars to look up too. just like today. you talk about michael some kids and teenagers may not be interested or find that "old".

so yeah, at the end it's life. it happens to all artists because of age and like rumandraisin said the world changes.

[Sophia2023]

Michael Jackson would have been sung the songs on "Justified" better than Justin Timberlake if he hadn't turned them down.