Thoughts on Michael Jackson
The death of a true icon. Rest in peace.

Written By Jerome Segers
Posted on June 26, 2009
Last Edited on June 26, 2009 7:11 PM

I can't believe this. I'm sure by now you've heard the news that Michael Jackson has passed away at the age of 50 on the 26th. Like any major event, you're going to remember where you were when you first heard the news.

I was on Facebook shortly before 6 P.M. (ET) yesterday and a few of my friends had status updates of MJ having a heart attack and being rushed to the hospital. I didn't worry too much because I thought he'd bounce back, but then I turned on the news and it started to look serious.

I was watching BET's 106 & Park at the time, and they were keeping viewers posted on the situation -- which by now people's status updates on Facebook were already saying "R.I.P." and I refused to accept it until I got some credible sources -- because if you've been doing a website like myself for years that focuses on entertainment news, you'd look for multiple sources, too. After 106 came back from a break, the hosts Terrence J. and Rocsi were crying and when they broke the news, the entire audience gasped. I couldn't believe it, man. Even then, I didn't want it to be true... No other sites were reporting anything yet, but 15-20 minutes later, it was fact.

Michael Jackson was dead.

I don't even know if there are any words to sum up this man when it comes to the impact he's had on millions through out his life, but I'll just share with you my own personal feelings instead of trying to type a news story like usual...

One of the tightest beats ever.

For people that know me, they know music is my life. I'm always listening, studying, making, or writing about music. I can't even sleep well without headphones on and music pumping. This fascination I have with it directly points back to The King of Pop himself. Ever since I was a young kid, I've been listening to this genius. I think the first video I ever saw in full, like ever, was "Black or White" when it world premiered in 1991 a few months before my 5th birthday.

I remember sitting there, like "wow". I mean, I had seen clips of music videos here and there as a kid, but nothing ever caught my eye (or ears) enough to stay tuned. From that point on, I was a Michael Jackson fan and all music videos I saw since that moment were held up to that standard he continuously set. It wasn't until 1995, a full 12 years after the fact, that I saw his masterpiece "Thriller". Even at the age of nine, I was SCARED out of my mind watching this video. It wasn't until my teens I could watch it without hiding behind something. And of course, that same year, the most expensive video ever made debuted -- "Scream".

I eventually got through most of his video library as I grew older, but the impact he's had on me musically and creatively is profound. I don't think you can call yourself an artist if you didn't try to take a crumb from Michael Jackson's career. I just produce beats, and while I get the majority of my inspiration from electronica and other hip-hop, everytime I hear the beat for "Remember The Time" or "Smooth Criminal" my creativity just spikes. I was just speaking with my friend Roderick a few weeks ago about how incredible his music was.

This is my favorite song by Michael, "Dirty Diana"

From a creative standpoint, wow, I wouldn't be the same at all without MJ. I'm incredibly artistic and I'm really good at taking what's in my mind and making it a tangible thing, and I have to give credit to Michael's music videos for letting me see creativity at work first hand at an early age.

There honestly would not be a paq-land.com for me to write this on if he didn't make me fall in love with music in the early 90s, because like I said, I wasn't listening to music at all until he came around (or until I discovered him lol). This is a major, major, major blow to anyone of us who were born in the 80s. Some of you younger cats who missed the boat might not understand the magnitude of his passing and I understand some of you want to buck the popular thing to do right now, which is to honor this man, and you might want to throw Michael's legal issues back in our faces, but I'm asking you to appreciate his music. His genius. His electricity. Because if you don't like MJ, guess what? One of your favorite rappers, R&B singers, or rock bands IDOLIZED HIM.

It's a crying shame he won't be able to release new material, as I was really looking forward to hearing his new stuff as I heard he was working with, or was planning on working with Akon, Kanye West, and Ne-Yo.

Rest in peace, Michael. And thank you. Your impact on me will continue to impact others. Your legacy will live on.