Speculation began circulating online yesterday that rap legend Tupac Shakur would make a surprise posthumous appearance on the title track of the new Michael Jackson album Xscape.
After attending the exclusive VIP listening session hosted by Epic Records in NYC on April 8, VIBE Magazine Music Editor John Kennedy published an article detailing the event, including that L.A. Reid had played an alternate version of the song “Xscape” featuring a rap verse by Tupac.
“On the second playback of Xscape, after many of the attendees were already retrieving phones and bags from coat check, L.A. Reid unearthed a version of the title track with vocals from Tupac Shakur’s Changes,” reports Kennedy in the article.
“And believe it or not, it was epic.”
This sparked widespread discussion and debate online – particularly on Jackson fan sites – regarding the pros and cons of the posthumously-crafted collaboration.
I reached out to Mr. Kennedy today for clarification regarding the track, asking him whether or not he knew if there were plans to include it on the album.
“According to Epic’s PR, Pac’s verse will not appear on Xscape,” he told me.
“No word on whether it’ll ever come out.”
Jeff Jampol, who serves as both manager of The Estate of Tupac Shakur, and consultant to The Estate of Michael Jackson, gave me the following statement:
“It was just an idea floated by a remixer during a meeting, I’m told. No one has approached the Tupac Shakur Estate about it, nor has any permission been granted. So I’d say it’s a nonissue.”
Damien Shields is the author of the book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault examining the King of Pop’s creative process, and the producer of the podcast The Genesis of Thriller which takes you inside the recording studio as Jackson and his team create the biggest selling album in music history.
