Michael Jackson Sampled By Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rihanna And Many More

Diddy, Nas and Jennifer Lopez also borrowed from the King of Pop for some of their biggest hits. By James Montgomery Kanye West in his music video for "Good Life" Photo: Roc-A-Fella Michael Jackson's best songs were alive, and they made the listener feel the same way. They had heart and soul, blood, sweat and even some tears — they were living things, expertly crafted by some of the best scientists in the business (Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, etc.). Jackson's voice — sometimes lithe and tender, other times pained and downright dangerous — was always the lifeblood, the stuff that primed the pump. The musical flourishes (the disco rushes, the rock-hard guitar solos, the cinematic orchestral sweeps) were the DNA. The beat was the backbone. Those building blocks were used to create some of the most undeniable music of the past quarter-century, massive hits that still fill dance floors and bring tears to the eyes of the faithful. They are the ... (link)