Michael Jackson’s first posthumous single, Hold my Hand, was released yesterday as family and friends continued to express their anger at his upcoming album’s release.
Black-eyed-peas frontman Will.I.Am also waded in to the row, telling American website EW.com he considered the release ‘disrespectful’.
The single, a duet with RnB star Akon, is the first to be released form the forthcoming album Michael, which is set to rival Take That for the Christmas number one spot.
But brother Jackie Jackson insisted via Twitter that “John Mclain [a co-executor of Michael’s estate] and I have insisted for many weeks to have certain tracks removed from Michael’s new album.” He then continued, “Our objections were not listened to.”
His comments follow a report in The Guardian that Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, did not believe all the vocals on the album belonged to her son.
Meanwhile Will.I.Am, who had also worked with Michael on musical projects prior to his death, voiced his criticism of the decision to release any songs.
The rapper claims that Michael was such a perfectionist he would never have wanted the songs released without his full approval.
He said: “Whoever put it out and is profiting off it, I want to see how cold they are… To me it’s disrespectful.
“Michael Jackson songs are finished when he says they are finished. Maybe if I had never worked with him I would not have this perspective. He was very particular about how he wanted his vocals… he was that hands-on.”
Will.I.Am insisted that none of his unfinished collaborations with the king of pop would ever be released to the public.
Today, in an interview broadcast on celebrity news site TMZ.com, Akon slammed Will.I.Am’s comments and insisted the singer would have wanted the tracks to be heard.
He said: “I don’t see anything disrespectful about it… these albums would have come out if [MJ] was alive or dead so I think this helps to keep his legacy alive.”
Akon is a vulture.