The Rundown: Michael Jackson, Xscape

A track-by-track look at the collection of unheard MJ songs.

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The Rundown: Michael Jackson, Xscape - As one of pop music's most important (and most prolific) artists, Michael Jackson's voice will ring through the ages. Reaching into the late icon's vault of unreleased tracks, producer Timbaland has helped pull together a follow-up to Mike's 2010 hit posthumous LP, Michael. Working with more major beat-makers, like Rodney Jerkins, StarGate, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon and John McClain, the Epic team, led by L.A. Reid, gave the unheard MJ vocals a bouquet of sounds that range from dance to hip hop club bangers. Check out the rundown of the remixes and their original versions.   (Photo: MJJ/Epic)

Got to Be There - Globally known for being the King of Pop, at the root of Michael Jackson's historic and trailblazing career is his love for Black urban culture (from which hip hop springs forth). And Michael Jackson has been down with hip hop since his years with the Jackson 5, when he began helping to expose aspects of the culture to mainstream audiences in the '70s.In honor of the fifth anniversary of his death, check out Mike's key hip hop moments and how he's repped the streets since day one.  (Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images)

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"Love Never Felt So Good" - Michael's second posthumous LP takes off from the starting gate with this ethereal dance track armed with lush orchestration and thumping disco rhythms. Reminiscent of the days of Off the Wall, MJ croons soulfully about a love too good to let get away.  (Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images)

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"Chicago" - Over this atmospheric track, awash in keyboard flourishes and a classic MJ R&B love beat, the King of Pop sings of a woman who turned him into her side piece. "She lied to you (and) lied to me," Mike decries. "But she got a family." (Photo: George Rose/Getty Images)

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"Loving You" - Capturing the innocence of early love, this cut has all the familiar earmarks of the Gloved One's appoach to R&B balladry: joyous melodic changes and airy keyboard production backed with an infectious rhythm.  (Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect.)

Michael Jackson - The Jackson 5 first rose to popularity via a deal with Motown, under which Michael Jackson began releasing his solo albums. After a while, however, the brothers felt the label was stifling their creativity too much and they jumped ship for Eipc, where MJ went to record the rest of his catalogue, including Off the Wall, Thriller and Invincible.(Photo: EPA/JAN NIENHEYSEN /Landov)

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"A Place With No Name" - MJ gets a funky rework of America's 1971 classic "Horse With No Name" for this single, which also retreads the arrangement of MJ's 1987 hit "Leave Me Alone." But for this go 'round, the pop music legend sings of a mysterious land he wonders into.  (Photo: EPA/JAN NIENHEYSEN /Landov)

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12. His Live Shows - MJ’s larger-than-life shows were life-changing events. The screaming, crying fans — 4 million of them on the Bad World Tour alone —  are just one measure.  (Photo: Kyodo/Landov)

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"Slave to the Rhythm" - "She dances for the man at work, who works her all the time," Michael melodicially explains on this dance cut. Armed with a rolling 808 kick, MJ uses this song to discuss a woman who needs to take the love blinders off and gain control of her life (or her rhythm) and march to her own drum. Mike always has to have a message in there.  (Photo: Kyodo /Landov)

My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship With an Extraordinary Man by Frank Cascio  - In 2011, Frank Cascio, a lifelong friend of Michael Jackson who eventually became his personal assistant, released the book My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship With an Extraordinary Man, which detailed the King of Pop's drug use, among other private matters.

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"Do You Know Where Your Children Are" - With a chorus ripped straight from the '80s PSA, it's apparent what this socially-conscious cut is about. Swaying, space-age synth work and a choir-style background vocal color this MJ message about kids getting caught in the streets. "Just imagine how scared they are," he croons.  (Photo: Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

18. He Came From Nothing - Mike was born on August 29, 1958, in the hard-scrabble industrial city of Gary, Indiana. He was the eighth of 10 children born to Joe, a steel-mill worker, and Katharine, a homemaker and devout Jehovah’s Witness. 50 years later, when he died, his fortune was estimated to be between $4 billion and $8 billion. Talk about a come-up.  (Photo: Ron Wolfson /Landov)

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"Blue Gangsta" - MJ gets his thuggery on for this menacing cut which finds him flexing a tough dude vocal over creeping piano chords and 808 rolls. He's got no time for love because he's a Blue Gangsta.  (Photo: Ron Wolfson /Landov)

"Human Nature," Michael Jackson - Written by Toto's Jeff Bettis and Steve Porcaro and produced by mastermind Quincy Jones, "Human Nature" injected a softer and gentler sound into Michael Jackson's Thriller album and left an indelible imprint in our musical psyches. Artists like Stevie Wonder, SWV and Chris Brown loved MJ's original track so much, they went on to sample it in their own songs. (Photo: KMazur/WireImage)

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"Xscape" - Many an MJ fan will hear this track, which shouts down a nosey and intrusive society, as reminiscent of his smash "Scream" — sans the sparse knocking drum. But in the age of digital media, which goes 24/7, this cut gives MJ a new profundity about Big Brother.  (Photo: KMazur/WireImage)

5. His Charity Work - Michael put his money where his music was. He donated 100 percent of the profits from "Man in the Mirror" to charity. Between 1985 and 1990, he gave $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund. All the profits from his Dangerous tour went to his Heal the World foundation, which supported charities for underprivileged children. In 2000, he actually took the Guinness World Record for most charitable entertainer.  (Photo: REUTERS/Kieran Doherty /Landov)

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"Love Never Felt So Good (Original Version)" - Strip away the polished dance production and underneath is MJ's voice soaring over a rousing piano accompaniment. A treasure of MJ singing that stands all by itself.  (Photo: Kieran Doherty /Landov/Reuters)

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Michael Jackson x ATV Music Publishing - When Michael Jackson learned the value of music pubishing, he changed the game and began acquiring catalogues that "meant something to him," like Sly & the Family Stone songs. He eventually acquired ATV Music Publishing, sold to MJ in 1985 for $47.5 million, and giving him ownership of, most significantly, a bunch of the Beatles' songs, which ruffled the feathers of fellow pop royal Paul McCartney. MJ held on to the share, however, allowing a merger with his label home, Sony. Another merger later (with EMI), the company is now the largest music publishing house in the world, and his estate still rakes in cash from it.(Photo: Havakuk Levison/Reuters)

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"Chicago (Original)" - On this original version of "Chicago," the keyboard notes flow smoother and more atmospheric. Definitely sounds like a rough cut. But it's a pleasure to hear Michael's vocal as the centerpiece. 

Michael Jackson - Jackson's largesse toward the Make-A-Wish foundation was arguably more than any other celebrity. The late pop star held charity events at his Neverland Ranch to raise money for the foundation and hosted a number of sick and underprivileged children. Sadly, Jackson's reputation as a Make-A-Wish ambassador was smeared when some reported that there was a connection between his charitable efforts and child molestation charges. Make-A-Wish released a statement denying any connection.(Photo: Brenda Chase/Online USA/Getty Images)

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"Loving You (Original)" - The breezy melody and chord changes remind you of MJ's '82 smash duet with Paul McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine." On this version, you absolutely hear the '80s in the approach to the production.  (Photo: Brenda Chase/Online USA)

Battling Usher in a Dance Off  - To honor his 30th year in show biz Michael spliced moments from his 2001 two-day concert extravaganza at Madison Square Garden for his own TV event. While performing his most recent hit, "You Rock My World," he was joined on stage by Chris Tucker and Usher, whose dance skills have often been compared to Mike's. But when Usher started electric boogying around The Gloved One, Mike sensed a battle, and a dance off was issued. Let's just say, Ush got served. (Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage)

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"A Place With No Name (Original)" - The guitar sample of America's hit is more pronounced on this cut. And the chorus is accented by a chorus of claps.  (Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage)

"Do You Know Where Your Children Are (Original)" - Underneath the veneer of this track's 21st century makeover is, once again, an '80s synth-snare combo. The arrangement offers nostalgia and quality Michael.  (Photo: Epic Records)

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"Do You Know Where Your Children Are (Original)" - Underneath the veneer of this track's 21st century makeover is, once again, an '80s synth-snare combo. The arrangement offers nostalgia and quality Michael.  (Photo: Epic Records)

King of Pop Honors the Godfather - At the 2003 BET Awards, an homage to James Brown turned into one of TV's great moments when Michael Jackson walked on stage (unbeknowst to Brown) to drape the famous robe over Soul Brother Number 1's shoulders. Afterward, an elated James Brown struck up the band so Michael (who idolized Brown) could boogie, leaving the audience and TV viewers in disbelief. That evening, MJ was presented with an even bigger honor when he handed Brown the Lifetime Achievement Award.  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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"Blue Gangsta (Original)" - Michael's original inspiration for this cut was '40s gangster films and French noir, which explicitly come through on this version. Eerie horn lines meld with downtrodden accordian rises and piano jabs, capturing the spirit of an old time mob flick. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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On His Race - "I’m a Black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity." (Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

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"Xscape (Original)" - Michael's cries for privacy have always come with a theme (space, amusement park, etc.). For the original recording of this cut, Michael acts as an inmate who escapes prison over a phat, stripped-down beat. (Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake - Back in 2001, the king of pop Michael Jackson moon-walked his way pass a Neptunes production which later became Justin Timberlake's smash hit "Rock Your Body" off his debut album Justified.  (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Barry King/WireImage)

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"Love Never Felt So Good" featuring Justin Timberlake - The added bonus for this final track is that Mike is joined by one of his most famous disciples, Justin Timberlake, who gives an exceptionally MJ-esque performance.  (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Barry King/WireImage)