I can’t even get into the draft. I had a post I’ve been working on all day, passed out from a lack of sleep the last week and woke up to 100 text messages. Most were friends, associates, co-workers, questioning if Mike had died or not. There was a period where everyone was waiting for confirmation because the first outlet to report his death was TMZ. Ultimately, when I heard it was a shock. I’m still in shock. The majority of the texts said Mike was a big part of my childhood. Whether you like it or not, Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer of all time. He was the reason Black folk are on MTV. His videos were events. My family and I would sit around the TV and wait for his world premiers to drop. Thriller’s video was so unique it changed the game. I remember dancing to Rock With You with my first girlfriend in sixth grade. Nothing about his talent was fake or produced in a studio. It was all him. Talent learned from him. Like they say, often imitated, never duplicated. Any video where you see dancing was influenced by Michael Jackson. Remember the cocky dude who couldn’t stay in step at the end of the Beat It video? The magnitude of his death will be felt for decades. He transcended race, class, music, life. I hope his kids were able to learn from his talent and transfer Mike’s gift to whatever potential they have embedded in their soul. God bless the entire Jackson family. http://youtube.com/watch?v=cm-cTvviMRQ http://youtube.com/watch?v=MYx3BR2aJA4 http://youtube.com/watch?v=mWfVyBtuYWY&feature http://youtube.com/watch?v=PdV7Kb1RG8Y&feature http://youtube.com/watch?v=lD2OsUcgb00&feature http://youtube.com/watch?v=W-apaIOOoAo&feature http://youtube.com/watch?v=bABlC3_Is74 http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1DCv2JED0 I can’t believe this. He’s really gone? http://youtube.com/watch?v=snihdG1rE0Y Send to Facebook