An Unreleased Michael Jackson and Jay-Z Collab Exists—Here's What We Know
The remix track was apparently stumbled upon three years ago.
What was lost... is now found!
It seems there's a Michael Jackson and Jay-Z track floating around out in the universe, as it was revealed a remix featuring the two legends has been uncovered after being lost for two decades.
Producer Just Blaze confirmed on a recent episode of the Bloomberg Originals series "Idea Generation" released on March 13, that a version of Jay-Z's 2001 hit "Girls, Girls, Girls" with the beloved late King of Pop does, in fact, exist.
"So Michael Jackson is on the 'Girls, Girls, Girls' remix – the A version," the music industry veteran divulged. "And I never knew that. I don't know if I didn't go to the studio that day. I thought it was an urban legend or something that Jay said, like, in jest one day, or just was some kind of a myth."
Shortly after Jackson's untimely death in 2009, Jay-Z told British entertainment magazine New Musical Express (NME) that the "Billie Jean" singer had recorded vocals for the track, however, the version featured on the "Song Cry" rapper's 2001 album The Blueprint, did not feature Jackson, leaving inquiring minds wondering about the name-drop for several years following.
Blaze admitted he found the once-mysterious recording just a couple years ago while searching his computer during the 2020 pandemic.
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"I find this folder that says 'MJ vocals,'" he recalled. "And I'm like, 'MJ? Don't that mean Michael Jackson?"
"And I realize as I'm listening to it, it's him singing on 'Girls, Girls, Girls.' And I'm like, it's true," he added. "Like I never, the last 20 years... I just found it during quarantine. So all these years, I've never known it was actually a real thing. And turns out the files had been sitting downstairs this entire time."
Last year, newly resurfaced footage of Jay-Z bringing out Michael Jackson at Hot 97's Summer Jam concert in 2001 set the internet ablaze.
In the fuzzy video clip (pre-iPhone clarity, of course) Hov and Jackson can be seen conversing on stage as the "Heal the World" singer waves to fans and tells them he loves them. Jay then performs "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"—which samples The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"—to close out his set.
"He played a concert with me in New York, which was great," he remembered of the historic occurrence to NME at the time. "He got up and he walked out and the place went mental, guys were just grabbing their hats and throwing them."
It may be far-fetched to think the public will ever actually get wind of the unheard throwback remix track, but it doesn't hurt to dream!
Next: Jay-Z and Rihanna Surprise a Retirement Home With Gifts After Viral TikTok Dance
