Royalty...

I always stood strong in my belief that music is the universal language, but the last two weeks have taken that conviction to a completely different level. On June 25th, as I was preparing for a DJ set later that night, I received a text message from my brother that literally took the wind out of me -- "What?! Michael Jackson passed away!" After staring blankly at the message for a few seconds, I immediately went online to confirm the news, but at that point it was all speculation. Within that next hour, it was confirmed that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, had passed away.

I'm not gonna front and act like I was the biggest MJ fan, but his death made me realize to what extent I liked his music. It's been well over 10 years since his songs made it into my regular listening rotation, but every time one would emanate through the speakers, I'd either sing it out loud or attempt one of his often-imitated, but never duplicated, dance moves.

I feel fortunate enough to have lived and experienced a time where he was known for being a music superstar and not the sideshow attraction/media magnet that he had become over the latter part of his life. Although I was slightly jealous of my brothers for having been able to witness the Thriller video when it was released, I find solace in the fact that I could still remember watching his video for Bad when I was five years old (which is one of the few music videos I remember from that part of my life). Even on my first day of kindergarten when I was balling my eyes out after my parents left, the one thing that cheered me up was this kid who came up and started dancing like Mike. That ended up being my first friend in class, all because we had one thing in common: Michael Jackson.

Another fond childhood memory I have is when the Dangerous album came out in '91. There was this big hype around the video for his new single Black or White, which I believe premiered after an episode of In Living Color(?). The opening scene with Macaulay Culkin had me goin' berserk (hey, I was just a kid and Home Alone was really popular at the time), so I knew the video would only get better. Always one to push boundaries and defy preconceived notions, he ended up causing a lot of controversy. After the video was done, I knew that I had to save up my money so I could buy the cassette tape at the local Wherehouse music store.

Fast forward to May '09. In preparation for my first DJ set ever, I knew that I had to close it out with a string of Michael Jackson songs. I wanted to be able to move the crowd and MJ's music did just that. It was such a great feeling to see the smiles on peoples faces as each new song came on, which is what I've been seeing over the last couple of weeks. People all over the world from different social classes and ethnicities are celebrating his life and music. I really can't think of another musician who can bring so many people together like this, and as someone who makes music myself, I can only dream of even coming remotely close to making the timeless, soulful, and heartfelt music that Michael made.

His memorial service today was very moving, but there were two moments in particular that stood out for me. First, Al Sharpton said what eventually led to a standing ovation: "I want his children to know there was nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with," which is the same sentiment shared by many. The second, and most emotional moment, occurred when his daughter courageously spoke to the crowd and broke down in tears: "Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just wanted to say I love him so much." I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought tears to my eyes, which really put it into perspective for me. All of us are mourning the loss of a musician who was there throughout different times of our lives, but we often forget that he was a father -- a father who will no longer be there for his children.

I don't want to go on about his lost childhood or the so called "tragic" life he lived because the media that's praising him today will be back at it again, doing their best to tarnish his legacy tomorrow and the weeks to come. I'll leave the ugliness to the vultures and instead keep this as a personal tribute to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, a member of true music royalty. I hope he has the peace he rightfully deserves, and although he might be gone, I can never say goodbye because he'll live on through his music.

Michael Jackson: thank you for everything you've done.