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I Wanna Be Like Mike: When Stars Pay Homage to the King of Pop - The King of Pop, who died on June 25, 2009, left an indelible mark on music over the past four decades. Today, on his 55th birthday, what better way to pay tribute to the music icon than by highlighting tributes to him from other music greats? The following artists have either covered, sampled and/or honored Jackson in their own amazing way.  (Photo: REUTERS/Michael Dalder/Landov)

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Justin Timberlake, "Take Back the Night" - Justin Timberlake, the recipient of the Michael Jackson Vanguard award at the 2013 VMAs, sampled MJ's "Billie Jean" for his "LoveStoned," and evoked him in his recent "Take Back the Night." (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)

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Chris Brown, X - Chris Brown has channeled Jackson many times before, but for his sixth studio album, X, the star says he's really looking to pay homage to him, "the Stevie Wonders" and "the Sam Cookes." He said he took a "Quincy Jones approach," and it's evident from even his first single and video "Fine China."  (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Rihanna, "Please Don't Stop the Music" - The Bajan beauty's 2006 dance hit “Please Don’t Stop the Music” blends the famous “Mama-say, mama-sah, mama-koo-sah” refrain from Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” with a pulsing techno beat.  (Photo: 2007 The Island Def Jam Music Group)

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Naughty by Nature, “O.P.P.” - Naughty by Nature’s 1991 breakthrough adultery anthem “O.P.P.” makes liberal use of the Jackson 5’s exuberant "ABC." (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne, "Gimme That" - The video for this hit from Breezy’s eponymous debut album gives props to the suited-up Harlem Renaissance stylings of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” video. (Photo: Courtesy of Jive Records)

Photo By Courtesy of Jive Records

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Nas, "It Ain't Hard to Tell" - On “It Ain't Hard to Tell,” the first single from Nas' game-changing debut, Illmatic, Queens producer Large Professor expertly chopped up MJ’s ethereal “Human Nature” into a blunted, hazy head-nodder. (Photo: Courtesy of Columbia Records)

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Akon, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" - Akon remade this signature King of Pop party-rocker for the 25th anniversary reissue of Thriller. (Photo: Courtesy Epic Records)

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Ghostface feat. Mary J. Blige, "All That I Got Is You" - This soul-bearing confessional from Ghost’s 1996 debut, Ironman, uses a mournful, string-laden sample from the Jackson 5’s “Maybe Tomorrow” to maximum heartbreaking effect. (Photo: Courtesy Razor Sharp Records)

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Mariah Carey, "I'll Be There” - Mariah Carey’s breathtaking cover of “I’ll Be There,” the Jackson 5’s final No. 1 single, lead her 1992 MTV Unplugged album to platinum heights and remains one of the most powerful performances in her storied career. (Photo: Courtesy Columbia Records)

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Jay-Z, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" - In a glimpse of the pair's later success with Watch the Throne, Kanye West chopped up the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” for the triumphant lead single from Jay-Z’s 2001 benchmark The Blueprint. (Photo: Courtesy of Roc-A-Fella Records)

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SWV, "Right Here (Remix)" - The breezy remix to SWV’s 1993 debut single spent 54 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 off the strength of its heavenly sample from Jackson’s “Human Nature.”  (Photo: Courtesy RCA Records)

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Chris Brown, “She Ain't You” - Breezy paid tribute both to the King of Pop and R&B trio SWV by interpolating their “Right Here (Remix),” which in turn sampled Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature.”(Photo: Courtesy of Jive Records)

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Q-Tip, "Move" - In the video for the speaker-blowing second single from Q-Tip’s 2008 The Renaissance, the Abstract pays homage to MJ’s discoed-out “Rock With You" video. The song also features an ingenious chop of the Jackson 5’s “Dancing Machine” by late, great beatmaker J. Dilla. (Photo: Courtesy of Universal Motown Records)

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Chris Brown, 2010 BET Awards Performance - After his conviction for domestic abuse threatened to derail his career, Chris Brown launched his comeback with a show-stopping performance at the 2010 BET Awards, where he paid tribute to his idol with a medley that included “Remember the Time,” “Billie Jean” and a tearful, much-talked-about take on “Man in the Mirror.”(Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

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Kanye West feat. T-Pain, "Good Life” - Yeezy revived his patented "chipmunk soul" technique from his The College Dropout era with this joyful 2007 hit, which features an almost indiscernible sped-up sample from MJ’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).” (Photo: Courtesy Roc-A-Fella Records)