2 Years Later: Remembering Michael Jackson

Artists discuss MJ's legacy and influence.

Juvenile: March 26 - Rapper Juvenile turns 36.(Photo: Brad Barket/PictureGroup)

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Juvenile - "You know truthfully, it’s crazy. The last time he put his album out, he had the shelves on lock. He sold more records than anybody so I’m looking from a business standpoint. I hated to see him go but I think it would be real smart for the company to put another album out on his anniversary 'cause I don’t think nobody can outsell him still even with him being dead."

Asher Roth (@asherroth) - Asher celebrated the one-year anniversary of his album's release by jumping back in the studio with one of the producers from his debut project. "Celebrating 4/20 and the 1 year of "Asleep in the Bread Aisle" by getting in the stu w @OrenYoel"

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Asher Roth - "I think it affected the world. The most amazing thing about Michael and the power of music is he’s not gone. For us it’s like, 'what? He’s been gone for over a year?' It goes to show that he’s gonna live on so I’m just happy that I witnessed it. I was here. Being born in 85 and to witness some of Michael’s best work I was just happy to be a part of it."

Bun B - Wise beyond his years, B-U-N-B, 37, plans on releasing “Trill OG” in August.

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Bun B - "Well I was in London when Michael Jackson passed away so it was a bigger deal in Europe than it was in America. People were really going crazy and I was performing with Dizzee Rascal at the Glassberry festival and Dizzee is pretty much the biggest Black artist in England so it was a big deal to see how he was going to honor Michael Jackson. He did it a good way and a real way but it was emotional. There will be no other Michael Jackson. For real."

Kid Capri - “To tell you the truth, man, for that man to be gone it don’t feel right, but at the same time it feels like he’s not gone because of the presence of his music. When I do a party and play Michael Jackson, it's like it just came out and the crowd goes crazy. He’s going to always be around. His music is always going be around. It's unfortunate that we lost a young king as soon as we did but he gave us so much to live with and he’s going to always live on. I hope I’m a part of his anniversary."

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Kid Capri - “To tell you the truth, man, for that man to be gone it don’t feel right, but at the same time it feels like he’s not gone because of the presence of his music. When I do a party and play Michael Jackson, it's like it just came out and the crowd goes crazy. He’s going to always be around. His music is always going be around. It's unfortunate that we lost a young king as soon as we did but he gave us so much to live with and he’s going to always live on. I hope I’m a part of his anniversary."

Birdman - "Mike is somebody who sold 750 million records and that’s one of our goals in life, try to accomplish what Mike did by himself as a unit and try to do more. Try to sell more records than Mike, make more money than Mike. Numbers don’t lie, so that’s one of our goals and that’s what we trying to do as a whole is put up those kind of numbers."

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Birdman - "Mike is somebody who sold 750 million records and that’s one of our goals in life, try to accomplish what Mike did by himself as a unit and try to do more. Try to sell more records than Mike, make more money than Mike. Numbers don’t lie, so that’s one of our goals and that’s what we trying to do as a whole is put up those kind of numbers."

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Uncle Luke - "Michael Jackson is the king of pop. That’s the king of entertainment, period. Not just pop, but entertainment. He was a trendsetter. I used to just follow his marketing schemes more than anything. Everybody loved the music, but I just loved the fact that how they marketed it when he would come out with an album. Before the album would come out it would be in McDonald's or Burger King. He had cross promotion when nobody had cross promotion so I enjoyed his marketing of his product."

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Uncle Luke - "Michael Jackson is the king of pop. That’s the king of entertainment, period. Not just pop, but entertainment. He was a trendsetter. I used to just follow his marketing schemes more than anything. Everybody loved the music, but I just loved the fact that how they marketed it when he would come out with an album. Before the album would come out it would be in McDonald's or Burger King. He had cross promotion when nobody had cross promotion so I enjoyed his marketing of his product."

Slim Thug - “It’s just crazy man. It’s like that’s one of the people you would think would never die. For that to happen, that just surprised me. I was shocked and you know it was just sad but you know we got to keep it going and represent for him."

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Slim Thug - “It’s just crazy man. It’s like that’s one of the people you would think would never die. For that to happen, that just surprised me. I was shocked and you know it was just sad but you know we got to keep it going and represent for him."

Keri Hilson (@misskeribaby) - According to Keri Hilson, in order to be great one must sacrifice. “Its easy to be GOOD, but the GREAT work on their own bdays & holidays if that's what is necessary to get where they wanna be.”

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Keri Hilson - “I don’t know, all I know is I’ve kind of become obsessed with collecting everything I didn’t have of Michael Jackson. He was so great. It’s reminding me of how impactful he was on my own career. No one has the focus and drive that he had. Do you understand the amount of hours he put in? A lot of it is natural, but the amount of hours since he was a kid that he put in just let me know that this industry is survival of the fittest and wow was he able to survive.”

Paul Wall - Typically known to flash his hundred thousand-dollar grilled smile, Paul Wall lost his cool during a recent concert in San Antonio. According to TMZ, a fan gave Paul the middle finger as he and Slim Thug were leading the crowd into 'R.I.P Pimp C' chants. Paul approached the fan to speak to him before abruptly hitting him with a microphone twice. He later apologized.

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Paul Wall - "Well you know it affected the industry. It was a tragedy so… there’s not anybody in music or entertainment that wasn’t influenced at all by him. It’s incredible to see how the record sales just went through the roof after he passed. It shows that there are still true music fans out there and it’s not just always about a gimmick. There are real die hard music fans out there. It’s good to see that he gets that support."

Gucci Mane - "Big fan of Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to him. He was one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived and I’m proud of myself being a good entertainer trying to be great so I’m watching him."

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Gucci Mane - "Big fan of Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to him. He was one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived and I’m proud of myself being a good entertainer trying to be great so I’m watching him."

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Trina: December 3 - The Miami rapper celebrates her 32nd birthday.

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Trina - "It’s a very sad thing and I felt like we lost the greatest entertainer ever and you know it’s a devastating situation, but his legacy forever lives on and through music. I’m like a huge Michael Jackson fan, so just to constantly have that person and be a part of that time when he was here, it’s a beautiful thing."

Rick Ross on His No-Show at the Soul Train Awards - "What exactly happened was I came the day before and they gave me a mic just to do rehearsals and I had no input on the performance. We done worked a long time to get in this position, just not to be thrown on stage."

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Rick Ross - “Aww man you already know just to lose a legend such as Mike at such an early age, it most definitely makes you reflect just as a person. It makes you appreciate every day that you’re here. Every day you get to accomplish what we set out here to do, it means that much more to you. He was a young dude but he made the biggest impact in music history of all time. It’s a lesson to be learned and some great music that will live on forever.”

Free Man - New Orleans-based rapper Mystikal was released from prison on Jan. 14, according to various sources. Back in January of 2004, Mystikal was sentenced to six years after he pled guilty to sexual battery.

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Mystikal - "When I found out what happened when he passed I was still incarcerated so that definitely added insult to injury. It was a rough moment so it really inspired my career as a rapper. He inspired everybody."