A year ago today, Michael Jackson — singer, father, humanitarian, and arguably the greatest live performer who has ever lived — passed away under what were (at the time) mysterious circumstances. His death was instantly shrouded in a sea of mystery. By some accounts, Michael’s death was at his own hands as a victim of a 25 year struggle with addictions to pain medication. There were other claims about who was responsible for Michael’s death which were specious at best. The relative truth, it would turn out, was much more horrifying when it finally emerged. The world mourned Michael’s passing like nobody had ever mourned a performer before, or so it seemed. Whatever we may have thought of him in this life, his shocking death became a time for everyone to revisit the music he made and focus, ultimately, his work as a performer — work which brought people around the world together in celebrations of charity and harmony.

In the year since his death, a lot of claims have been made as people closest to him have worked tirelessly to rebrand his image. In death Michael achieved what he no longer could in life, silencing the practitioners of revisionist history with a recognition of his both his contributions to the world of music and to global humanitarian relief. Since a great deal of money is coming in now, some say to the tune of $1 billion since his death, the external circus that always surrounded Michael Jackson lives on. There are the fans, the entertainment industry that lives and thrives off of the money his legend continues to generate, and of course his children and close family (members of his family that Michael deemed deserving at least).

With Michael’s passing, the music industry has earned an opportunity to experience the struggle of finding its identity. A more dynamic, earth-shattering, record-shattering, perfection-seeking machine has yet to emerge or even show themselves as the logical heir to Michael’s throne, though (as with every top job) there are plenty who think they can take the crown. The industry being a tiny fragment of what it was when Michael was alive, it’s worth wondering when anyone will step forward whom the industry deems worthy of the time or money invested in building a performer of Michael’s caliber to their zenith. In the meantime, I (like so many of you) mourn his passing again today & remember the good works he did when he was here. His never-ending quest to find the perfect marriage of sweeping rhythms and nuanced grooves can only be admired by most of the people who will read this. What’s actually wonderful about this knowledge is that Michael, in his seemingly infinite wisdom, didn’t release everything he made. With 100 unreleased tracks, there will be music from the man for years and years to come.

His music and his legend are like fireworks exploding across the night sky, brilliant and beautiful, unique and unexpected, shifting-shapes endlessly in formation. Michael Jackson was and will remain a radiant shower of stars & lights, combustible as he worked to emit his light rays, reaching and receiving every color in this universe and who, at the end of the music, faded only from sight but never our memory.

Michael Jackson – Hot Street (U-TERN Edit)
DJ Ayres Michael Jackson Mix (Rub Radio Mix) [Rub Radio]

[ Official Michael Jackson Tribute Site | One Day Later (U-TERN's Blog) | U-TERN on Twitter | The Rub | DJ Ayres on Twitter ]

A new teaser-track which features Michael Jackson singing over a J. Dilla beat appeared yesterday (courtesy of turntablist extraordinaire J. Rocc) on the Stones Throw Records website with a cryptic message –

SHARE MY BED=M.J. & DILLA. TEASER FROM J ROCC.

Share My Bed=M.J. & Dilla 1st track “Player has Butterflies”…wait 4 the rest

The track, by the appropriately named “Dil Jackson”, is entitled “Player Has Butterflies”. We don’t know what “the rest” is, but you can best believe –we’re very intrigued after hearing this track. Grab it from the Stones Throw site here. (HT: @Nialler9)

J Dilla x Michael Jackson – “Player Has Butterflies”