Michael Jackson, Long Live The King

There’s no denying Michael Jackson’s influence on hip-hop. From the countless samples to frequent MJ lyrical references, Jackson has been a hip-hop staple from the beginning. While other legendary black artists dissmiss hip-hop or refuse to be associated with the art form, the king of pop embraced it — collaborating with rappers like Heavy D, Treach, The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z just to name a few.

Unfortunately, with Mike seemingly going through constant scandals and legal trouble in recent years, the gloved one became somewhat of a punchline. Today, E!Link pays tribute to MJ by highlighting some of the more flattering lyrical shoutouts MCs have given him over the years. There are just too many, so we’re counting on E! Link always knowlegeable users to chime in with any mentions we left out. R.I.P. Michael Jackson. Long live the king. —Compiled By Matt Barone, Carl Chery, Clover Hope, John Kennedy, Rob Markman Vanessa Satten and Bonsu Thompson

“I’m growin’ and glowin’ like a forest blaze/Do you like Michael Jackson, we like Cool J.”—LL Cool J “Rock The Bells,” Radio

“Prolly rocking door knockers with her hair in the twist/with the ill Michael Jackson wrist band on her wrist”—Black Thought on The Roots’ “Act Too – Love of My Life Remix,” Brown Sugar Soundtrack

“Pseudo psychos I play like Michael Jackson when I’m bustin ass and breakin backs”— Jeru the Damaja “Come Clean,” The Sun Rises in the East

“So do like Michael Jackson and “Remember the Time” (DO YOU REMEMBER?)/Put on your dancin shoes or somethin cause ya sho’ can’t rhyme”—Phife Dawg “Scenario” Remix, Scenario 12”

“Come and rock with us, all night like Michael Jackson/Leave your guns and knives at home, black, that’s all I’m asking”—Mr Lawnge on Black Sheep’s “Black Sheep,” Non-Phiction

“Loot like Michael Jackson kicks like Bo Jackson/Benz like Freddie Jackson, no need to ask in the crew/
Oooh! No frontin, no fakin moves”—The Notorious B.I.G. “Microphone Murderer (Demo),” Notorious Soundtrack

“Raw Nights I perform like Mike anyone Tyson, Jordan, Jackson pack guns action”—The Notorious B.I.G on Puff Daddy’s “Victory,” No Way Out

“Leave you lookin like that Michael Jackson jacket with all them zippers”— 50 Cent “Patiently Waiting,” Get Rich Or Die Tryin

“Black serial killer, man turns to gorilla/Provoked I change faces like Michael Jackson’s Thriller”—Wyclef Jean on The Fugee’s “Ready Of Not” Remix, Bootleg Versions

“This is bad, real bad, Michael Jackson/Now I’m mad, real mad, Joe Jackson” —Kanye, on Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down”

“Black lights, stamina, uh, uh, uh action!/You been gettin more butterflies than Mike Jackson”—Ludacris on Amerie’s “Why Don’t We Fall In Love” Remix

“Same sword they knight you/they gon’ goodnight you/with, shit, that’s only half if they like you/that ain’t even the half what they might do/don’t believe me, as Michael.” —Jay-Z “Hot 97” Freestyle

“I used to hustle, now all I do is relax and strive/when I was young I was a fan of the Jackson 5″—Nas “Halftime,” Illmatic

“Hippa to the hoppa and you just don’t stoppa/I control Michael Jackson’s Thriller”—Old Dirty Bastard “Rollin With You,” Nigga Please

“And plus I’m bad as Michael Jackson, even though he Dangerous”—Erick Sermon “Erick Sermon,” No Pressure

“Me and you kid we gonna me some cash/Jackin old beats and makin the dash/
They jacked the beats, money come wit ease/But son, he couldn’t stop, it’s like he had a disease/He jacked another and another, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder/Set some R&B over the track for ‘Deep Cover’”—Mos Def “Children’s Story” Talib Kweli and Mos Def Are…

“I guess, Michael Jackson was right, “You Are Not Alone”/Rock your hardhat black cause you in the Terrordome”—Mos Def “Mathematics,” Black On Both Sides

“The Mike Jordan of rap, Mike Jackson of pop” — Jay-Z on Michael Jackson’s Rock My World,” Invincible

Ja Rule - “”Off the Wall” like MJ in his early days/It’s the Inc. and Lopez now”—Ja Rule on J-Lo’s “Ain’t It Funny” Remix, J-Lo

“Give my ladies dick, my young hoes pee-pee/Hits in a row like MJ (Hee-hee!)”—Jay-Z “It’s Hot” (Some Like It Hot),” In My Lifetime Vol. 3

“Cops caught me red-handed/Blood On the Dance Floor/or was it Michael Jackson?”—Method Man “Step By Step,” Tical 2000: Judgement Day

“Yo we in the streets where it’s nothin but love/I’m them leather shits, you the Michael Jackson glove”—Sheek Louch “In/Out (S.P.),” Walk With Me

“Leave me alone like Michael Jackson/Or there will be more than butterflies in your stomach, waiting to see what happens”—Talib Kweli “Good To You”—Talib Kweli “Good To You,” Quality

“Now they wanna do ya boy like Mike in his prime/Billie Jean, the goddamn boy ain’t mine”—Jay-Z “American Gangster,” American Gangster

“I’m watchin’ that/like the boxing match/in the ring of Manila/I wanna keep it comin’ like the singles of “Thriller””—Fabolous “Baby,” Real Talk

“Come to Compton see “Thriller” like Mike Jackson/I might be, Spike Lee, of this gun clappin’”—The Game “Westside Story,” The Documentary

“No lights, no camera, but lots of action/No moonwalkin backwards, kid, like Michael Jackson”—Parrish Smith (EPMD) “It’s Going Down,” Business Never Personal

“Walkin with a trenchcoat to part the pumpin’/Like MJ, I wanna be startin somethin’”—Redman “Lick a Shot,” Malpractice