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29 January 2002
Michael in VIBE Magazine
March 2002 edition of VIBE Magazine
Full transcript of the interview
Regina Jones
is the writer. She said she met Michael when she was 33 at the Diana Ross
special. She wrote for "Soul"--and had kept in touch with the family as a
regular guest until their magazine was canceled. Michael's Neverland Valley
Ranch is 2,700 acres. Jones said she was greeted by some of the 70-odd memebers
of Michael's 'exceedingly' friendly staff. They help the King of Pop maintain
the complex and welcomes busloads of visitors each year, mostly kids with
terminal illness. Michael is dressed in black slacks, white socks, black loafers
(tehe) and a soft yellow shirt who greets Jones with a warm hello and a big hug.
He politely excuses himself so he can talk to his son Prince, 5, and Paris, 3
who had just returned from a long walk; they were chattering excitedly about
their day. While Michael went to spend time with his babies, Jones took a look
around the ranch before it got dark out. She discovers the amusement park,
playground, train station, arcade, zoo, pool, Jacu!
zzi, bumper-car tent, and various areas where animals roam free. The animals
included: cheetah, a pony, a parrot, several deers, and a llama (where's the
monkey?!?).
Michael is ready to talk 45 minutes later. Jones shows Michael old photos she
took during her SOUL magazine times. He looks through them and laughs. He
reminds her if she really remembers the interivew (Back then, he wouldn't talk
to her directly. He made her talk to Janet who would repeat everything to
Michael--then Michael would tell Janet what to tell Jones--this is because he
refused to talk to any reporters at that time.) This is what he said about it,
"I felt afraid. I felt that if my sister was there, the person would go easier
on me." Often animated, Michael goes from a whisper to a raucous laughter in a
split second. The only matter he refused to talk about is his plastic surgery.
He quoted, "That's a stupid question, that's one reason that I didn't do
interviews for years." Jones even asked about his financial health, and he
brushed that subject off also by saying, "I'm taken care of fine." Of course he
is, he owns half of Sony/ATV Publishing. Every time someone performs one of the songs from the 'ATV Book' he gets half the money. At 43,
Michael is back with Invincible and it was number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
His Madison Square Garden was also CBS's highest-rated music special of all
time. Jones adds that no matter what changed in Michael's life--he remains
caring, inquisitive, and sensitive.
VIBE: How is it to be competing for sales with the likes of N'SYNC and Britney
Spears, children who were basically born at the height of your fame?
MJ: It's a rarity. I had No. 1 records in '69 and '70, and still entered the
charts in 2001 at No.1. I don't think any other artist has that range. It's a
great honor. I'm happy, I don't know what else to say. I'm glad people accept
what I do.
VIBE: What are your thoughts of the current R&B state?
MJ: I don't categorize music. Music is music. They changed the word R&B to rock
'n' roll. It's always been , from Fats Domino to Little Richard to Chuck Berry.
How can we discriminate? It is what it is- great music, you know.
VIBE: Are you feeling hip hop?
MJ: I like a lot of it, A LOT of it. I like the music. I don't like the dancing
that much. It looks like they're doing aerobics.
VIBE: How did you decide to feature Biggie Smalls on "Unbreakable," off
Invincible?
MJ: It wasn't my idea, actually. It was Rodney Jerkin's, one of the
writer/producers working on the album. It was my idea to put a rap on the song,
and he said, "I know the perfect one--Biggie." He put it in, and it worked
perfectly.
VIBE: Why did you choose Jay-Z for the remix of the first single, "YRMW"?
He's hip, the new thing, and he's with the kids today. They like his work. He's
tapped into the nerve of popular culture. It just made good sense.
VIBE: What was it like for you to appear at the NY's Hot 97 Summer Jam concert
as Jay-Z's guest?
MJ: I just showed up and gave him a hug. There was a tumultuous explosion of
applause and stomping, a lovely, lovely welcome, and I was happy about that. It
was a great feeling-the love, the LOVE.
VIBE: Does it bother you to see people emulate you, such as Usher, Sisqo,
Ginuwine, and even Destiny's Child?
MJ: I don't mind it at all. These are artists who grew up with my music. When
you grow up listening to somebody you admire, you tend to become them. You want
to look like them, to dress like them. When I was little, I was James Brown, I
was Sammy Davis Jr., so I understand it. It's a compliment.
VIBE: Did you know that you were creating timeless classics when you were
recording THRILLER and OFF THE WALL?
MJ: Yes, not to be arrognant, but yes. Because I know great material when I hear
it, and melodically and sonically and musically, it's so moving. They keep the
promise.
VIBE: Do you feel there's greater acceptance of black artists these days?
MJ: I think people have always admired black music since the beginning of time,
if you want to go back to Negro spirituals. Today, the market is just accepting
the fact that's the sound. From Britney to N'Sync, they're all doing all the R&B
thing. Even Barry Gibb of the BeeGees, he tells me (imitating a British accent),
"Man, we do R&B." I say, Barry, I don't categorize it, but it's great music. I
understand where he's coming from. I love great music-it has no color, it has no
boundaries.
VIBE: You seem to be enjoying life as a single parent.
MJ: I never had so much fun in all my life. That's the truth. Because I'm this
big kid, and now I get to see the world through the eyes of really young ones. I
learn more from them than they learn from me. I'm constantly trying new things
and testing things on them to see what works and what doesn't. Children are
always the best judges to monitor something. That's why Harry Potter is so
successful--it's a family oriented movie. You can't go wrong there. We want a
wide demographic, and that's why I try not to say things in my lyrics that
offend parents. I don't want to be like that. We weren't raised to be like that.
Mother and Joseph wouldn't say stuff like that.
VIBE: What do Prince and Paris listen to?
MJ: They listen to all of my music, and they love classical, which plays all
around the ranch. They like any good dance music.
VIBE: How do you feel about your children becoming pop icons, based upon your
experience?
MJ: I don't know how they would handle that. It would be tough. I really don't
know. It's hard, most children of celebrities end up becoming self-destructive
because they can't live up to the talent of the parent. People always say that
Fred Astaire Jr., "Can you dance?" And he couldn't. He didn't have any rhythm,
but his father was a genius dancer. It doesn't mean that it has to be passed on.
I always tell my children, You don't have to sing, you don't have to dance. Be
who you want to be, as long as you're not hurting anybody. That's the main
thing.
VIBE: Which artists-the past and present- inspire you?
MJ: Stevie Wonder is a musical prophet. All of the early Motown. All the
Beatles. I'm crazy about Sammy Davis Jr., and Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire,
Gene Kelly, Bill "Bonjanles" Robinson- the real entertainer, the real thing, not
just gimmicks, showstoppers. When James Brown was the Famous Flames, it was
unbelievable. There are so many wonderful singers-Whitney Houston, Barbara
Streisand, Johnny Mathis. Real stylists. You hear one line, and you know who it
is. Nat "King" Cole, great stuff. Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke-they are all
ridiculous. (eh? Did Mike really say that?!?)
VIBE:
How involved were you in selecting the artists to perform in your 30th
Anniversary special?
MJ: I wasn't involved at all.
VIBE: How were you able to let go of something so big and so special?
MJ: Trust.
VIBE: What was your experience on September 11?
MJ: I was in New York (after performing at the Madison Square Garden on Sept. 7
and 10), and I got a call from friends in Saudi Arabia that America was being
attacked. I turned on the news and saw the Twin Towers coming down, and I said,
Oh my God. I screamed down the hotel hallway to all our people. Everybody get
out, let's leave now! Marlon Brando was on one end, our security was on the
other end. We were all up there, Elizabeth Taylor was at another hotel. We
jumped in the car, but there were these girls who had been at the show the night
before, and they were banging on the windows, running down the street screaming.
Fans are so loyal. We hid in New Jersey. It was unbelievable-I was scared to
death.
VIBE: On another tip altogether, what do you do for recreation?
MJ: I like water balloon fights. We have a water balloon fort here, and we have
a red team and a blue team. We have slings and cannons, and you are drenched by
the time the game is over. There's a timer, and whoever gets the most points is
the winner. If I'm going to do some kind of sport, I have to laugh. I don't do
anything like basketball or golf. Basketball is very competitive, and so is
tennis; they make you angry. I'm not into that. It should be therapeutic. I also
like amusement parks, hang with animals, things like that.
VIBE: Do you have a fantasy of something that you'd like to see in your
lifetime?
MJ: I would love to see an international children's holiday to honor our
children, because the family bond has been broken. There's a Mother's Day, and
there's a Father's Day, but there's no children's day. It would mean a lot. It
really would. World peace. I hope that our next generation will get to see a
peaceful world, not the way things are going now.
VIBE: Has singing ever stopped being fun and become work?
MJ: It's always been fun. Unless I get physically sick, it's always fun. I still
love it.
VIBE: Many of us see you as a historic figure, an innovator who has set a
standard that still exists. Where does Michael Jackson go from here?
MJ: Thank you, thank you. I have a deep love for film and I want to pioneer and
innovate in the medium of film-to write and direct and produce movies, to bring
incredible entertainment.
VIBE: What kinds of movies? Are you looking for scripts?
MJ: Yes, but nothing has been finished yet.
VIBE: Are you ever lonely?
MJ: Of course. If I'm onstage, I'm fine there. But you can have a house full of
people and still be lonely from within. I'm not complaining, because I think
it's a good thing for my work.
VIBE: Tell me about the inspiration for "Speechless". It's very loving.
MJ: You'll be surprised. I was with these kids in Germany and we had a big water
balloon fight-I'm serious-and I was so happy after the fight that I ran upstairs
in their house and wrote "Speechless." Fun inspires me. I hate to say that,
because it's such a romantic song. But it was the fight that did it. I was
happy, and I wrote it in its entirety right there. I felt it would be good
enough for the album. Out of the bliss comes magic, wonderment, and creativity.
VIBE: Do you collect anything?
MJ: I like anything having to do with Shirley Temple,
the little Rascals, and the Three Stooges. I love Curly. I love him so much that
I did a book on him. I got a hold of his daughter and we wrote the book
together.
VIBE: Is there anything that you would like to say to VIBE readers?
MJ: I love Quincy Jones. I really do. And also, I want to tell the readers not
to judge a person by what they hear, or even what they read, unless they heard
it from the person himself. There is so much tabloid sensationalism. Don't fall
prey to it, it's ugly. I'd like to take all the tabloids and burn them. I want
you to print that! Some of them try to disguise themselves, but they are still
the tabloids.
VIBE: Finally, how do you channel your creativity?
MJ: I don't force it, I let nature take its course. I don't sit at the piano and
think, I'm going to write the greatest song of all time. It doesn't happen. It
had to be given to you. I believe it's already up there before you are born, and
then it drops into your lap. It's the most spiritual thing in the world. When it
comes, it comes with all the accompaniments, the strings, the bass, the drums,
the lyrics, and you're just the medium through which it comes, the channel.
Sometimes I feel guilty putting my names on songs-"written by MJ"-because it's
as if the heavens have done it already. Like Michaelangelo would have this huge
piece of marble from the quarries of Italy, and he'd say, "Inside is a sleeping
form." He takes a hammer and chisel, and he's just freeing it. It's already
there. It's already there.
Michael is wonderful, man! He is soo deep in his words.
Ok, here's a little section that was seperate from the interview.
"Black Skin, White Mask"
When MJ is seized, he shakes his head and his hands and kicks up his legs,
laughs, cries, and hollers, "Whooooooo!" That, people, is the love movement. It
is grace, informed by Africa, Ben Vereen, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr., and, as
Michael said, "those beautiful children, those black kids who live in the
ghettos, you know, the inner cities, who are brilliant." What do you know about
surrender? Have you any idea of faith required to give your body over
completely, to the other side? With gut and foot, the spirits come down, you are
mounted. And, baby, they ride. But there is a line between possession, which is
when something takes you over, and obsession, wherein you take hold of something
and act as if possessed.
L.J. & Karen (the other co-founder)