Jay-Z said no to 'We Are the World'

Quick-tongued rapper Jay-Z says he turned down the "We Are the World" remake because of a musical disagreement with the producers.
Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritchie personally invited Jay to rock out with the biggest names in music for the biggest cause in his lifetime: Earthquake-stricken Haiti.
Jay declined due to artistic reasons, according to media reports.
We Are the World is like Thriller to me. I don't ever wanna see it touched.

"I'm a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that's going on in Haiti."
Jay says it's not that he wanted to come off as snooty (but he still does). "So I appreciate the efforts and everything, but "We are the World" is untouchable like "Thriller" is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it's gonna be untouchable."
What? I'm sorry I don't agree. The people of Haiti need your help, and you cite reasons based on how good a song is? Com'on son. That's unreasonable.

Quincy Jones: MJ 'obviously didn't want to be black'

Music impresario and MJ protege Quincy Jones had a sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but totally no-holds-barred interview in Menstyle where he takes the kid gloves off about Michael Jackson.
Some gems:
On the weird ways of MJ in the studio.
Muscles (Michael's boa constrictor) used to wrap around my leg in a record session and crawl across the console. I was never comfortable with that. It was a choice between that and Bubbles—you know, the chimp."

On Michael's inability to grow up and Quincy's giving him the song "She's Out of My Life," a 'grown-up' song, to sing on the "Off the Wall" album:
"I just wanted to hear him deal with a romantic relationship with a human being rather than a rat. I'm saying that facetiously, but it's true. I saw him at the Oscars very emotional about "Ben." I wanted to hear him get in touch with a real human relationship. "She's Out of My Life" was written by Tommy Bahler from a very bad ending to a marriage. So it was very real. I was saving it for Sinatra. But I gave it to Michael. And Michael cried during every take, and I left the tears in."



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