Two singers, two opinions. Will.i.am and Akon, two of the biggest stars in hip hop right now have very divergent views regarding Michael, the upcoming posthumous album made up of material Michael Jackson was working on before his death in June 2009.
Akon told TMZ, “Me personally, I think that’s keeping his legacy alive, if you ask me. I don’t see anything disrespectful about it. He got his people taking care of it. We all did records that we actually worked on together on the album.”
Will.iam criticized the release, “Whoever put it out and is profiting off of it, I want to see how cold they are," he told Entertainment Weekly. “To say that what [Michael] contributed during his life wasn’t enough. He just wasn’t any ordinary artist. He was a hands-on person. To me it’s disrespectful. There’s no honouring.”
Akon, who has collaborated with Jackson on Hold My Hand, the first single released from this CD believes it is a way to pay tribute to the popular entertainer, “These records would have come out whether he was alive or dead, so I think this actually to helps keep his legacy alive. I honestly disagree with that.”
Michael will be released on December 14.