Michael Jackson did not want to seek the legal route over an Eminem diss but his strategy far outplayed the latter

Credits: Wikimedia Commons/DoD News Features, Alan Light

Rightfully termed the King of Pop, Michael Jackson has a legacy that far outshines its term and has a cultural impact that goes beyond just pop culture. Synonymous with his acclaimed music, fashion, and dance, which also involves the wildly popular ‘Moon Walk, the late pop star enjoyed a chokehold on the entertainment industry with his overarching influence. Bearing such power, it would only be foolish for anyone to engage in direct beef with the persona. However, Eminem did just that.
Michael Jackson with his fans | Alan Light for Wikimedia Commons
An unfortunate diss brought the ire of Jackson over the Rap God singer. Thereafter, the former simply chose to let it slide on the public front but pulled off a completely unexpected and numbing move. The resulting fallout had deep implications for the rapper and laid the foundation for one of the most riveting feuds in the music industry.

Michael Jackson literally went on to own Eminem

Eminem performing in Germany | Mika Photography for Wikimedia Commons
Enjoying a significant amount of fame in the arena of music, Eminem decided to take his influence to the test. In 2004, the singer dropped a music video for his Just Lose It song that parodied Michael Jackson. Featuring a look-alike, the clip depicted scenes such as the Rock With You singer’s hair catching fire, a reference to his Pepsi ad, and another featuring his nose dropping off, understandably angering him.

In talks with Strike It Big, Matt Fiddes, a close friend and bodyguard to the late musical genius, shared how the latter showed almost no reaction upon watching the clip and even declined to seek legal action against him.

I watched that with Michael and he didn’t have much of a reaction to it, And I thought he would be angry but he said ‘I really respect Eminem. And it is what it is and that’s that’.

However, down the line, thanks to his financial clutch and the help of his friend, Mike Lester, he took the perfect revenge by buying the publishing rights to Eminem’s back catalog, tying him to his whims. Fiddes recalled an iconic interaction as,

Next time I was with Michael, I was with him the following week, I said ‘Michael have you bought Eminem’s music?’ He said, ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. You know what? I thought about it, the video, and it was wrong. I’m sick of lawsuits. I’ve had them all my life. I just bought all his songs so now every time he wants to play, he has to ask me permission, and I get paid’.

Thus, a pivotal and iconic moment in pop history unfolded and Jackson had his share of the beef and came out as the bigger fish, except that there lay another layer to this story.

Eminem finally managed to win back his music

Eminem raps with a live band during The Concert for Valor in Washington, D.C. Nov. 11, 2014 | DOD News photo by EJ Hersom for Wikimedia Commons
The actual reality, however, lay slightly different from the account provided by Matt Fiddes. Michael Jackson originally held a 50 percent stake in Sony/ATV, which in turn, he had originally sealed as part of a transaction that had many of The Beatles’ original songs transferred to him.

Now, when the joint venture music company acquired the publishing rights to Eminem’s back catalog, the King of Pop, through his majority stake, indirectly wielded immense control over the Venom singer’s music.

After earning loyalties from the ownership stake, the situation turned different following the mega-star’s passing in 2009. A $750 million deal between Sony and Michael Jackson’s estate transferred his 50% stake back to the company, making it the sole owner. Eminem moved in to negotiate a deal and earned back the rights to his music in 2016, marking an end to the saga.