Michael Jackson Dies

[rezadue]

I can see how you would mention NWA with respect to their infleuence on the gangsta rap genre. But If this is the case, one must mention RUN DMC and Grand MAster Flash for pioneering rap as a whole genre.

Whether or not people liked MJ, and whether or not they thought he was a molester, he was a musical genious, and had mad skills. Unfortunately there is a thin line between genious and madness, and a lot of genious individuals walk both sides of it.

Damn skippy NWA. Dr. Dre just by himself has his fingerprints all over rap and hip-hop.

[fundonny]

Dang Rez, why ya gotta be like that!!! LOL

NWA didn't invent it of course, but they perfected it and grew it. Man I love Ice Cube!!! Can't imagine how much more they would have done had Eazy not died.

[Marcos]

Well said Reza.I think this thread is getting away from the topic.

[rezadue]

Keepin' it real, my brotha from another motha

Dang Rez, why ya gotta be like that!!! LOL

NWA didn't invent it of course, but they perfected it and grew it. Man I love Ice Cube!!! Can't imagine how much more they would have done had Eazy not died.

[justsomeguy]

Yes, I can hardly wait until we all celebrate the musical genius of Britney Spears, whose album sales and lifetime earnings will surely pass those of Michael Jackson (assuming she lives another 20 years).

Like I said, he had ONE decent album, and any "good" he brought to the world was totally erased by his later actions. Sure its nice that we can all rekindle our fond memories of the 1980's, but if Michael Jackson wasn't a rich celebrity living in America he would have died in jail.

[jonf]

Like I said, he had ONE decent album, and any "good" he brought to the world was totally erased by his later actions. Sure its nice that we can all rekindle our fond memories of the 1980's, but if Michael Jackson wasn't a rich celebrity living in America he would have died in jail.

You can repeat your line about him only ever having one decent album as long as you want...but it doesn't make it true.

And, as others have said, it is amazing how certain people who have absolutely no knowledge (other than what they have heard on tv) can be of his guilt. Never ever would I have imagined myself as a defender of MJ, but the degree to which people are convinced of his guilt, with no knowledge or evidence, is absurd. I hope for your sakes that, if you ever get in any trouble with the law, you don't get a judge like yourself. "Evidence, schmevidence...this dude's a freak....GUILTY!!"

[justsomeguy]

I hope for your sakes that, if you ever get in any trouble with the law, you don't get a judge like yourself. "Evidence, schmevidence...this dude's a freak....GUILTY!!"

We never heard the evidence, because he paid millions of $$$ to someone to ensure that they did not testify in court. That does seem to me to be the proper course of action for an innocent man.

Unfortunately I don't have that kind of money, so I guess I have to stick to clean living...

[jonf]

We never heard the evidence, because he paid millions of $$$ to someone to ensure that they did not testify in court. That does seem to me to be the proper course of action for an innocent man.

Out of court settlements occure all the time, and they do not always mean a party is guilty. Often the more prudent course is to pay some money in order to avoid the ordeal of going to trial. After seeing what happened when he did go to trial, it's no wonder he was eager to avoid that process the first time around. And, when he did go to trial, with all the evidence laid out in front of the jurors, he was found not guilty...fancy that.

But, of course, none of that matters, because there are people that will be convinced of his guilt regardless of facts or evidence. They can just fall back on the reasoning that he paid off his accusers to hide evidence. Obviously, since there wasn't enough evidence to convict him, he must have paid to cover it up, because we all know he's guilty. And, how do we know he's guilty? Because he covered it up by paying millions of dollars. And how do we know he covered it up by paying millions of dollars? Because he's guilty.

[justsomeguy]

Jon, I understand and fully support the rights of the accused in a criminal trial and the legal requirement that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

But in this case we're not talking about someone who is accused of robbing a liquor store. We're talking about someone who is accused of abusing children. Trust me, the vast majority of these situations never get near a courtroom - and of those that do, the primary evidence is the testimony of the children themselves. I don't think you realize how difficult it is for the victims of these crimes to go to court or for the prosecutor to get a conviction in these circumstances - especially when the accused has virtually unlimited resources at their disposal.

I realize that we can't have a different legal system based on the crime you are accused of, and I also realize that Michael Jackson will never be proven guilty. But that doesn't prohibit me from forming my own opinion on his actions, and passing judgment accordingly.

[golfinteg]

We never heard the evidence, because he paid millions of $$$ to someone to ensure that they did not testify in court. That does seem to me to be the proper course of action for an innocent man.

Unfortunately I don't have that kind of money, so I guess I have to stick to clean living...

If you were the parent of a victim. Will you cash settle with a paedophile?

[Kilroy]

Rather than letting this continue to go back and forth ad nauseum, I think it's time to close it. We don't need to spread internet rumors or links to graphic descriptions of the allegations, but that seems to be what some want to post. Rather than policing it I'm pulling the plug. Lots of other threads out there in cyberspace to fry or defend him as you wish.

Sorry for any inconvenience.