Blast from the past: M.Jackson vs. M. Jordan

Only a few days removed from the shocking news of Michael Jackson's death, radio station playlists and TV coverage are still devoting a great deal of time and attention to the pop icons music. 

Remember the song Jam from Jackson's 1991 album "Dangerous" ? The song had cameos from Kriss Kross, a verse from Heavy D, and more importantly Michael "His Airness" Jordan was featured alongside Jackson shooting hoops and dancing.

Never before had two powerhouses of sports and entertainment been featured together in a music video..

Here is some footage of Jackson talking about playing ball with Jordan & showing him some of his patented dance moves.

Nowadays, cameos such as the one Michael Jordan made are commonplace. Athletes frequently appear in music videos, and musicians frequently support athletes in the arenas (i.e. Jay-Z & LeBron James).

LeBron actually has a similar cameo to Michael Jordan in Jay-Z's new video for his single 'Death of Autotune.' People always say nothing is new under the sun. Michael Jackson was the first to feature a prominent athlete in his video over 15 years ago...The man truly was a pioneer.

Jay-Z: 'Death of Autotune' video (LeBron cameo @ 3:55)

Musicians tribute M. Jackson at this year's BET Awards

The BET Awards aired last night live from Los Angeles...Where do I start? I'm not going to share my personal views of the show, but know that overall they are not positive. The attire, the behavior, the performances, the acoustics, the speeches, the production value more closely resembled a high school talent show than a premier awards show on a reputable cable network.

So I guess I just shared my personal views, huh? Oh well.

Despite all of its failures, BET made a conscious effort to praise, tribute and pay homage to Michael Jackson's achievements and contributions to the music industry and I appreciate their effort in that regard. Putting forth the effort doesn't always yield positive results and that was the case last night. Many of the so-called "tributes" to MJ were nothing more than artists performing their hits in MJ inspired outfits. There were a handful of artists who performed some of Jackson's hits (none worth writing about) with the exception of Ne-Yo.

Ne-Yo performed "Lady in my life" and in my opinion was one of the few artists who actually did justice to a Michael Jackson song. If you missed the BET Awards, please do not feel bad as this video is one of the few highlights from three painful hours of live television.

Ne-Yo performing "Lady in my life":

Swag Award of the Week June 22-29

King has left the building. I'm sure most of you were as shocked as I when you found out about Michael Jackson's untimely death. There is no doubt that the megastar, pop icon, musical pioneer turned freak show in recent years had an effect on your life. His music is timeless and his dance moves were impeccable. 

A few weeks back I wrote about Jackson's announcement that he was planning a world tour that was set to begin sometime this year. Fans now will not get that opportunity to see Jackson on stage again. Jackson's death reminds us how precious life is, and not even the most accomplished entertainers and celebrities are exempt. 

MJ will truly be missed. He touched many lives during his career. Fans from Beijing to Baltimore are still coming to grips with the harsh reality that Jackson is no longer with us. R.I.P Mike.

Michael Jackson retiring??

The King of Pop is stepping down from his throne. "Wacko Jacko" announced Thursday that he will tour one last time as part of his "This is it" tour, beginning in London and possibly making other stops around the globe.

Jackson made the announcement in front of a throng of adoring fans and journalists in London. 

He also announced plans to release a 3D film entitled "Thriller 3D." In my opinion, they should just use his grossly deformed face for all of the frightening scences.

I found a hilarious site that documents Jackson's facial transformation..Thanks Kate for reminding me of how crazy this man is for cosmetic surgery.

I decided not to blog about this when I first heard the news last week, but it appears as if Mikey is having a case of stage fright about making his big return. MJ had to be escorted back to his hotel room after he wandered out drunk and bewildered. The pop star even called his mom for reassurance during his spell.

I'm with you Mike...nothing like the kind words of ma dukes when you're doubting yourself. Still though, are you serious? Stage fright? What? This guy has been on stage since he was in grade school, and he's 50 now. Get it together Mike.

Between the concert series and the 3D movie release, Jackson could make up to $400 million. I think those numbers may help him get his act together.