Jan 25, 2018
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Marshall Price
📷 Chris Booth
King of Pop, now King of Covers! (Essence.com)
The King of Pop is now the King of All Covers
Michael Jackson’s presence alone, was larger than life, he was the JumboTron megastar.
By Marcus Scott
One black fedora. Check. One rhinestone jacket. Check. A pair of black high-water slacks. Check. A pair of ultra-slick black Oxford shoes. Check. Raising the bar to the sun until it liquefied. Check. Check. Check.
Far from any dilettante in the entertainment biz, on March 25, 1983, 24-year-old Michael Joseph Jackson from small-town Gary, Indiana, shined like a white dwarf when he performed a memorable Jackson 5 medley, reunited with all of his brothers for the 25th anniversary of Motown. Motown 25 was saturated with memorable moments: Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” The Temptations and The Four Tops face-off, and Stevie Wonder’s medley. But nothing stood tantamount to the soft-spoken Michael. His electrifying and exhilarating performance of “Billie Jean,” a menacingly sinister futuristic jazz-funk with the sassy crack-whipped downbeat, cat-on-the-prowl bass stare was unforgettable. A panic-attack set to music, Jackson’s unique vocal hiccup falsetto styling and fancy footwork thrilled the Motown 25 crowd, but it was his bullet-time moonwalk that sprinkled the gold dust that solidified his superstardom. With a career spanning four decades in popular culture, Michael Jackson’s spectacular and unprecedented career has been nothing short of spectacular. The androgynous, sequined gloved man-child known for his quintessentially avant-garde fashion sense; dizzyingly sleek razor-sharp dance routines and startling, sentimental songbird glissading-tenor—left a black hole that couldn’t be filled. Jackson’s take-no-prisoners frontman bravissimo, was left unmatched by his closest contenders Prince, Madonna and even his youngest sister, Janet. No one did better: no one could hit the same notes with the same emotion, had the same intensity, had the same imagination that created the blueprints for “Scream” and Leave Me Alone,” no one could write the same messages in their songs, and no one could out-dance him. So, why would they cover him? Here are a few stars with the gull to pull it off. 1. Recently, Mrs. Badu herself decided to get her inner Michael one. Covering Michael’s ‘72 single “I Wanna Be Where You Are,” with The Roots crew as her co-pilot, the cover is almost as good as original… almost. 2. Whistle Register diva extradonaire Mariah Carey, a legend in her own right wowed critics and fans alike when she performed for MTV Unplugged in ’92. Her rendition of Jackson’s timeless 1970’s I’ll Be There,” with back-up singer Trey Lorenz was soul-stirring, but despite a No. 1 hit, Michael is still here with us. 3. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, arguably this generation’s Aretha, brought down the house with her rendition of “Will You Be There?,” with a choir backing her when she performed this gem at the Michael’s memorial at The Staples Center. But, nonetheless its Michael’s vocal ticks and gospel howl that made this a principle standout on his Dangerous album. 4. In 1996, BLACKstreet’s Another Level, took the pop game by the horns and their signature “No Diggity” was anything but a forgettable track. But even they had a hand in sampling the “King.” When Teddy Riley remixed “Billie Jean” with this club banger, it was destined for greatness… just not as great as the original. 5. “Billie Jean” was also covered by another star. The MTV Awards 2007 saw many things that night, with Kanye and others jamming the night away, but it was up-and-comer Chris Brown’s performance with former flame Rihanna that stole the show when he executed Mike’s hat toss, spins, and landing en pointe. A legend in the making? 6. Barbados ingénue Rihanna also got her kicks with “The Gloved One.” Her chart-topper “Don’t Stop The Music,” sampled Michael’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” from the landmark Thriller. Now, if only she can get the African chant down. We believe it’s: “Mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa.” 7. Kanye is famous for name checking MJ in his tunes. Basically the backbone of Kanye’s “Good Life,” Michael’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” is still one of Thriller’s several highlights. With a T-Pain cameo, Kanye’s Graduation standout track still gets the party started. 8. No one can glam it up better than Beyoncé, and on June 26, ,the night after Michael passed she honored him the best way she knew how: doing a cover. From Off The Wall, “I Can’t Help It” is the smooth jazz slow jam that captured the King at a perfect calm. While the effort wasn’t bad, she’s still got a long way to be Mike, battling between her cliché prima donna vocal gymnastics and Mike’s effortless 9. Giving Mike a big run for his money is sometimes neo-soul singer, sometimes folk singer and pianist John Legend featuring political satirist Stephen Colbert singing “The Girl is Mine.” Probably the oddest couple in musical history, this tour de force, a cover of the very first single from Thriller—comical and soulful—is music with wings. 10. Thriller opened the way it closed, phenomenally and unforgettably. The last track, “The Lady In My Life,” a quiet storm slow jam has also been covered from Ne-Yo to Al B. Sure in R&B music. Mike’s poignant riffs and boy soprano high notes laced with gushy sweetness was one of the few songs responsible for late night pillow talks. Hip-hop icon LL Cool J agrees, and with Boyz II Men grooving in a melismatic unison, “Hey Lover” from his hit “Mr. Smith” not only topped charts, it made us sweat, sampling this MJ classic. 11. From their sophomore self-titled album Naughty By Nature, the East Orange trio unleashed an unforgettable ’91 hip-hop anthem, sampling the Jackson 5’s No. 1 hit “ABC.” Just a simple melody, an acronym for other people’s (sexual) property, “O.P.P.” remains one of the most influential pieces in hip-hip history. 12. “I Want You Back,” the first Jackson 5 single released on Motown, made history as one of four back-to-back number one hits. No doubt, Mr. Roc-A-Fella himself asked Mr. West to sprinkle some Kanye dust on his now-classic The Blueprint. Magic was created when Jay-Z declares fame on the summer smash “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” sampling the J5 standout. The Motown fave has been sampled numerous times, and helped a lot of songs become hits—remember, “Jump” from Kris Kross? Forty years later, and this J5 song is still funky. 13. These Sisters With Voices kick-started a rock-the-house career amongst a competition against other girl groups TLC, Total and Xscape, in the early to mid-90s, but it was their defiant Thriller sample that took the cake in ’92. On the heels of their No. 1 hit “Weak,” it was “Right Here (Human Nature remix)” that was the jump-off to every block party, with Coko’s up-close-and-personal swagger and Michael’s piecing and breathtaking falsetto that pulls at the heart strings. 14. From his 2001 album Invincible, Michael covered a song from UK duo Floetry, about the special someone that stirs up those little emotions every time you look at them. Almost without batting an eye, Michael spits out the syrupy ballad “Butterflies” like he’s calmly sipping chamomile, effortlessly. At first listen alone, it’s evident that the third single, released from his tenth studio album, was a far cry from the Gaia of sound ringing out from Natalie Stewart’s little mouth. While Natalie provides the voice, it’s Mike who provides the bittersweet and heartfelt passion, that Marsha Ambrosius declared. If you want to see the published version, go here: http://www.essence.com/news_entertainment/entertainment/articles/the_king_of_pop_is_now_the_king_of_all_covers/?Page=1
The Essence & Grown-Ish Student Loan Payoff Contest - Win Trip
The Essence & Grown-Ish Student Loan Payoff Contest – Win Trip
Interested and eligible participants can enter to The Essence & Grown-Ish Student Loan Payoff Contest which provide you complete satisfaction and you will also enjoy it a lot. Contest open for all United States residents. All participants need to submit entry before April 30th, 2020 and can get a chance to Win Trip To New Orleans LA. (the total ARV of all available Prizes in the Promotion is…
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Slave women braided rice into hair to provide food for their families who were sold
ESSENCE ANNOUNCES 2018 OSCAR LUNCHEON HONOREES!
ESSENCE ANNOUNCES FOUR HOLLYWOOD GAME-CHANGERS AS HONOREES FOR ITS PRESTIGIOUS 2018 BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS LUNCHEON: DANAI GURIRA, TIFFANY HADDISH, TESSA THOMPSON AND LENA WAITHE
New York, NY (February 7, 2018) —ESSENCE, the preeminent brand for African-American women, has announced the honorees for its prestigious “ Black Women in Hollywood Awards.” The highly anticipated annual Oscar-week celebration—which returns as a daytime luncheon— will be held on Thursday, March 1st, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA.
ESSENCE’s annual event puts the spotlight on Hollywood’s most innovative and accomplished visionaries, and this year will honor four game-changers who are taking the culture higher, including: Emmy-award winning writer/actress Lena Waithe; actress/award-winning playwright Danai Gurira; actress/activist Tessa Thompson and comedian/award-winning actress Tiffany Haddish.
“As the modern feminist movement continues to gain prominence during Awards season, women are emboldened to not only speak up, but to stand together,” said ESSENCE Editor-in- Chief Vanessa De Luca. “ESSENCE proudly salutes Lena, Danai, Tessa and Tiffany for being remarkable artists shining beyond the screen, and raising their voices to benefit all women.”
ESSENCE’s March 2018 Black Women in Hollywood issue (on newsstands February 23rd ) showcases each honoree in a captivating Oscars-themed package. Highlights include:
Tiffany Haddish on Having Fun While Performing: “’When you’re onstage, you need to be having fun.’ That’s the advice Richard Pryor gave me. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, I live by that philosophy...If I’m not having fun? Well, that’s when I end up getting arrested...”
Danai Gurira on Creating Opportunities for Women of Color: “Creating opportunities for Black women, women of African descent and other women of color is a big part of my mandate because I want us to shine. I understand that being on TV as Michonne and in films like ‘Black Panther’ help Black girls feel validated. I don’t take that lightly...”
Lena Waithe on Winning an Emmy and Telling Our Stories: “Being the first Black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing was just amazing, but I don’t want to be the last. It’s about our industry, our society, taking a big leap forward. It’s about my ancestors, the women comedy writers and queer communities of color. I shared that moment with them...”
Tessa Thompson on Breaking New Ground With Her Roles: “I feel as if I’m breaking new ground and providing more representation for women of color around the globe. But even if it wasn’t me, I’d still look at those projects and if I saw a woman who looked like me, I’d think, Wow!”...
Stay tuned to Essence.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes access to the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essence #BlackWomeninHollywood. Join in the discussion on Facebook.
The Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards is presented by The Ford Motor Company and sponsored by AT&T, Geico, L’Oréal Paris and Walmart.
About Essence Communications Inc.
Essence Communications is the number one media company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 15 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent African-American owned company focused on merging content, community and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of women of color.
Oprah Winfrey and Renée Elise Goldsberry Talk Henrietta Lacks For Essence April Cover
When Oprah Winfrey read how one Black woman’s countless contributions to science saved millions, she turned the best-selling book into her next movie. This month she, along with Broadway and TV phenom Renée Elise Goldsberry (who plays the film’s title character), star in the unheralded story of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, airing on HBO April 22nd.
In Essence’s article, Into the Light, both stars talk about the incredible significance of Lacks; whose cells—called HeLa—have been used globally in the development of the polio vaccine as well as treatments for Parkinson’s, leukemia, hemophilia and the flu. While vials of the cells by the millions have been reproduced, sold and stored in research labs, most scientists who work with them knew nothing about the woman they’d come from. Until now...
When asked what is was like playing Henrietta Lacks she answered, “I love the opportunity to tell stories that people should know. I think it puts what we do as actors on the level of nurses and doctors. It takes us out of this idea of entertainment into an act of service…”
The April issue of Essence hits newsstands this Friday, March 24. For more on this issue, visit here..
Essence "Black Women in Music" Celebrates Four-Time GRAMMY® Winner Erykah Badu
Essence ‘Black Women in Music’ Celebrates Four-Time GRAMMY® Winner Erykah Badu
Official GRAMMY Week Event to Take Place on Thursday, February 9, 2017, in Los Angeles
(NEW YORK, January 12, 2017) —Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) Essence, the preeminent brand for African-American women, will host its highly anticipated 8th annual “Black Women in Music”—an official GRAMMY® Week event—on Thursday, February 9, in Los Angeles. The invitation-only soiree will salute the year’s extraordinary GRAMMY nominees and fête four-time GRAMMY winner Erykah Badu on the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut album, “Baduizm.” The evening will also feature a performance by Roc Nation management artist Tiwa Savage, an award-winning Nigerian singer songwriter making an indelible impact in the U.S.
“From the time that she first hit the scene with her album ‘Baduizm,’ we all fell in love with the genius that is Erykah Badu. It is only fitting that we honor the accomplishments of our neo-soul queen, whose remarkable artistry still moves us 20 years later,” said Essence Editor-in-Chief Vanessa De Luca. “We congratulate Erykah on her incredible career, as well as all of this year’s GRAMMY nominees, who share their amazing gifts with the world.”
Erykah Badu backstage during the Essence Music Festival at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo by Naomi Richard.
“Our collaboration with The Recording Academy® underscores the mission of our ‘Black Women in Music’ platform,” said Essence President Michelle Ebanks. “Essence, like the GRAMMYs, has always been at the forefront of recognizing the genius of so many artists and influencers—from iconic legends to the next generation’s rising stars, like Tiwa Savage. We also applaud our event sponsor, Lincoln, for returning once again to support the vision of this event.”
“We’re closely aligned with the inspiration behind the ‘Black Women in Music’ event that helps bring a highly talented group of artists together through the power of music,” said Evan Greene, chief marketing officer of The Recording Academy. “The Recording Academy has always strived to recognize and celebrate diversity within the music industry.”
Established in 2010, ESSENCE ‘Black Women in Music’ has heralded the accomplishments of both emerging and established artists and influencers during GRAMMY week. Previous celebrants include GRAMMY Award winners Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland and Janelle Monáe, GRAMMY Award nominees Solange and Andra Day, as well as music industry veteran Sylvia Rhone and singer/songwriters Lianne La Havas and Emeli Sandé.
The 2017 ESSENCE ‘Black Women in Music’ event is sponsored by Lincoln. Stay tuned to Essence.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes access. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essence #BlackWomeninMusic. Join in the discussion on Facebook.
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