Why Michael Jackson Refused To Be On Tupac’s Makaveli Album

In the final weeks of his life, Tupac Shakur prepared an album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Having already dropped a chart-topping double album earlier in 1996, Shakur was fast at work following up his Death Row Records debut. Don Killuminati was a pioneering idea, originally intended to be a free mixtape, years before technology made such moves easier for artists. Tupac Shakur was born on June 16, 1971. In honor of the acclaimed artist's birthday and Black Music Month, Hip-Hop journalist Ural Garrett compiled an oral history of Makaveli's The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory for BET. Speaking with members of Tha Outlawz, album producers, and artists, some new information emerges surrounding another chart-topping album, which arrived two months after Pac was tragically killed in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tupac Hit Up Many More People Than Biggie In His Original Makaveli Liner Notes One of the biggest revelations is that Michael Jackson was approached to appear on The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. QDIII, son of Thriller producer Quincy Jones, shares that a meeting occured. "I set up a meeting at Neverland [Ranch],” QDIII shared. The producer, who had also worked on All Eyez On Me, wanted The King Of Pop to appear on "Thug Nature," a song that sampled his Thriller cut, "Human Nature." “I go up there and told Michael about it. And do you know what Micheal said? He liked Biggie.” In 1995, The Notorious B.I.G. appeared on Michael Jackson's "This Time Around." The song, co-produced by Dallas Austin, landed on HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. A year later, MJ was reportedly disinterested in aligning with Tupac Shakur, especially on an album remembered for its vitriol towards Biggie, JAY-Z, Mobb Deep, and another artist who'd sampled "Human Nature"—Nas. Sir Jinx Reveals That His & Ice Cube’s First Song Plays In Michael Jackson’s “Bad” Video Notably, "Thug Nature" did make the Makaveli LP. Instead, it arrived nearly four years later on Death Row Records' Too Gangsta For Radio compilation, as did another QDIII/Pac collaboration, "Friends." Quincy Jones III recently completed a five-part Dear Mama documentary with Menace II Society co-creator Allen Hughes that has been in the works since 2019. In the article, QDIII described Pac's mood in the studio. “I would say he was manic,” noted the producer, who has also worked with LL Cool J, Tech N9ne, and mentored Evidence before producing films. “There would be moments that called for quiet voice and candles and all that and he would be screaming and smoking Newports. He was on fire with this manic push. He was always pushing. You could tell he wasn’t comfortable in some way and there was something that was making him uncomfortable.” Tupac was filming Gang Related at the same time he was recording Makaveli. Hear The Original Version Of "California Love" & It’s Nuthin’ But A Dre Thang The oral history reveals that other songs were originally recorded for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, including 2Pac and Tha Outlawz' single "Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)" and "Letter To The President," each belonging to 1999's Still I Rise collection. Garrett's oral history also claims that "Toss It Up" was first recorded to a Dr. Dre beat—a fact that has been disputed in the past by singer Danny Boy. Notably, Pac disses Dre on the song, less than six months after the Compton producer left Death Row, reportedly forfeiting his stake in the label he founded with CEO Suge Knight. The single was available less than two weeks following Pac's death, months before the album arrived. The track resulted in a cease-and-desist from Dre, who had launched Aftermath Entertainment in the same Interscope Records family as Death Row. Following the dispute, "Toss It Up" arrived with a new, similar beat—this one produced by Demetrius Shipp, Sr. and Reggie Moore—that was deliberately similar to Blackstreet's "No Diggity," a summer 1996 hit featuring Dre. Havoc Reveals That Prince Played Keys On A Mobb Deep Track (Video) "Toss It Up" was added to the Makaveli album, reportedly at the request of Knight. In addition to Danny Boy, the song features Teddy Riley's former Guy band-mate Aaron Hall, as well as Jodeci's K-Ci & JoJo. The ensemble was a strategic jab at "No Diggity," as well as former Uptown Records executive Puffy, who is also dissed in the song lyrics. Co-producer Shipp's son would later portray Pac in the All Eyez On Me film. Ural Garrett's BET feature includes additional information on The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory's artwork, production, and critical reception. Former Death Row Records Singer Jewell Has Passed Away #BonusBeat: A 2020 episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast comparing Michael Jackson to Lil Wayne: #DmtDaily



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