editor’s note I’m Just Sayin’tho by D-Ray
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s hundreds of millions of people around the world mourn the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, so do I. In my mind and in my heart, the King of Pop will never die, even though I never got the chance to see, touch, or freeze a moment with him! Man, that was a concert I’ve always wanted to experience since I was a child. I would run through the house laughing, dancing, and singing without a care no matter what Michael record was playing. He brought life into households around the world in an amazing way. Every since he was a child, Michael had a gift that you normally don’t find in such a young person. He had soul for real, not the fake “soul” people talk about. When he sang, he got so caught up in the emotion of the record. I think that’s what made the world such huge fans of his! He came with real music! I didn’t want to believe it when I heard that he was rushed to the hospital. I was so devastated, believe it, and I’m not one to get all emotionally caught up and cry over a celebrity, especially one I’ve never even met! But, you have to understand that when I was a child, he brought so many happy times into my single parent home during hard times. I recall that when my mom played Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, and Lionel Richie she would just glow! So the memory of MJ has always been a great feeling. He just made everything better through his music! Ever since I was very young, my auntie promised she would take me to a Michael Jackson concert, but it just never worked out. There was hope when I heard he was planning his London tour. I thought, damn, I should just take a vacation and go out to London so I could see him during his last tour! WOW! I procrastinated myself right out of that idea and didn’t get tickets in time.
ing strange about your daddy. What was strange was what he had to deal with!” Brooke Shields was also very touching, with her memory of MJ. I cracked up when she said, “Aye, so what’s up with the glove?” I just thought as his friend, she’d seen a lot and been through a lot with him! Usher also touched me with his song. Magic, yeah, he’s too much with the story he told about the cook asking him what he wanted to eat and he said “grilled chicken.” That’s what he got, as MJ had a bucket of KFC. Magic said, “Man, Michael, you eat KFC?” Too funny to have such memories. My heart goes out to his children. Paris killed me when she spoke and said her final goodbyes to her father. “My daddy was the best daddy! I love him!” That’s something that’s very hard to do. I know when my granddaddy passed, I couldn’t even talk at his funeral. I can honestly say that I regret not being able to say my final goodbye to him at the funeral out loud, but I guess I did say my goodbyes when he took his final breath. It just felt like he waited for me to come in his room to say he loved me before taking that last breath. I’m grown, and I know how hard that was to deal with, so I can’t imagine being eleven years old and dealing with death. We shouldn’t take our everyday lives for granted, nor the lives of the family we have around us. Tomorrow is not promised! We are all on borrowed time, and when God calls for us, it’s time to go home! Only God can judge us, so love life and live it with no regrets. Make sure you tell your people you love them. I know it’s a task with the stressful lives we live, but always try to show it. Make the effort to let them know it! With that being said, I love you mom, for never turning your back on your kids and putting us first over everything in your life. Being a single parent is a struggle, and you did a great job!
The day he died, I was at DJ Backside’s house in Los Angeles. I told her, “I bet you anything the kid that accused him of the child molestation charges will come clean and say he was lying! He won’t be able to live with the lie any longer.” Right after that, I heard that he did come forward to clear up the allegations.
R.I.P. The King of Pop Michael Jackson! Thank you for bringing such great memories to my hard times as a child.
Michael Jackson will live on through his music forever. His funeral was very touching. He had an amazing support team that came out to show everlasting love and respect for him. The speakers had some great and touching things to say to him. It was great when Al Sharpton turned to Michael Jackson’s three children and said, “There was noth-
P.S.: I feel that the BET Awards sold all their viewers short without a Chris Brown MJ Tribute. Chris Brown would’ve shut it down, hands down! Much love, Chris! The world needs to learn how to forgive, especially when it’s not their business. If you didn’t see it yourself, please don’t tell me what it looks like! Again, only God can judge us!
DJ Quik & me in L.A.
Me & Terrace Martin in L.A.
Ya Boy f/ Dr. Hollywood “Run LA” Willie Joe f/ Traxamillion “Giggin’” Juice f/ Bun B “Crush My Cool” Mistah FAB “Hit Me On Twitter” DJ Quik f/ Kurupt “9 Times Outta 10” Glasses Malone f/ Rick Ross, Baby, & T-Pain “Sun Come Up” The Jacka f/ Andre Nickatina “Glamorous Lifestyle”
4 // OZONE WEST MAG
- D-Ray, OZONE West Editor-At-Large dray@ozonemag.com
Andre Nickatina & me @ Club Me & Felecia @ Cinco de Suede in San Francisco, CA Mayo in San Jose, CA
DJ BACKSIDE’S
TOP 10 SLAPS
Big Rich “Something Special” Damani “You The One” E-40 “On Oil”