The Day Prince Found Out How DANGEROUS Michael Jackson Was | HO

In the pantheon of pop music, few rivalries have been as captivating or as misunderstood as that between Michael Jackson and Prince. Both were titans in their own right—one the King of Pop with global reach and a pristine image, the other the Purple One, a musical genius who played by his own rules. But behind the Grammys, chart-topping hits, and dazzling stage shows, there was a deeper, darker story: a silent war waged not just on the stage, but in the boardrooms, on the streets, and in the shadows of the music industry. The day Prince found out how dangerous Michael Jackson really was, the game changed forever.

The Roots of Rivalry

It’s easy to think of Prince and Michael Jackson as mere artistic competitors, but their so-called feud was never just about music. It was about power, strategy, and the relentless pursuit of control in an industry notorious for chewing up even its brightest stars.

When Michael Jackson released “Thriller” in 1982, he didn’t just break records—he obliterated them. The album catapulted him into a stratosphere few artists ever reach. Prince, meanwhile, was riding high with “1999,” earning his own acclaim but always in the long shadow cast by Jackson’s global machine. Industry insiders say Prince resented how the media always seemed to pick a favorite, and that favorite was almost always Michael. Jackson had the looks, the glove, the moonwalk, and, most importantly, the backing of a powerful industry apparatus. Prince, fiercely independent, fought the system while Michael mastered it.

A Night That Changed Everything

The tension between the two icons reached a dramatic peak in 1983 at a James Brown concert. Both legends were in attendance, and James Brown—at Michael’s urging—invited Prince up on stage after Jackson had already wowed the crowd. What happened next has become the stuff of music legend.

Michael’s performance was electric, and when Prince was called up, he struggled to follow. He tried to compensate by playing guitar and engaging the audience, but the moment was tense and awkward. According to producer Quincy Jones, Prince was so humiliated that he allegedly waited outside in a limousine, intending to confront Michael. While that story has since been debunked—Prince’s own road manager later clarified that a fan, not Prince, was behind the wheel—the myth persisted, fueling the narrative of a bitter rivalry.

But the truth was more nuanced. Michael Jackson had set Prince up, whispering to James Brown to call him on stage, knowing it would be nearly impossible to match his performance. The media, already hungry for drama, seized on the moment, and the rivalry was cemented in pop culture history.

Business Moves and Boardroom Battles

While the world obsessed over their musical rivalry, Michael Jackson was making moves far more dangerous than anything that happened on stage. He wasn’t just a performer; he was a shrewd businessman who understood that real power in the music industry came from ownership.

In 1985, Michael made one of the most legendary deals in music history: he purchased ATV Music Publishing, the company that owned the entire Beatles catalog. Paul McCartney himself thought the deal was too expensive, but Michael saw the long game. For $46 million, he acquired rights to not only Beatles songs, but also music by Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, and many others. Later, when Sony wanted to merge its publishing with ATV, Michael negotiated a deal that made him 50% owner of Sony/ATV—the largest publishing company in the world.

Every time artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Eminem, or Rihanna released music, Michael got a cut. He wasn’t just earning from his own hits; he was quietly collecting checks from the entire industry. While other stars flaunted cars and jewelry, Michael was building an empire, one publishing deal at a time.

Street Cred and Real-World Influence

But Michael’s reach extended beyond the boardroom. In the late 1980s, during the filming of “The Way You Make Me Feel,” he shot on location in one of Los Angeles’ toughest neighborhoods, Skid Row. There, real members of the Crips and Bloods appeared in his video and in photos with him. According to Snoop Dogg, the gang members even taught Michael how to throw up hand signs, and he obliged.

Even more notably, for the “Beat It” video, Michael brokered a temporary truce between rival gangs to appear together on set, sending a message of peace and unity. This wasn’t just for show—Jackson had genuine influence in places where few celebrities dared to tread. While tabloids painted him as eccentric or out of touch, Michael was quietly earning respect where it mattered most.

The Real Power Play

If Prince was vocal about artist rights—famously changing his name to a symbol to protest his Warner Brothers contract—Michael simply went out and bought the rights. Prince once refused to sing the opening line of “Bad” (“Your butt is mine”) because he refused to let Michael have the upper hand, even symbolically. But by then, Michael had already won the real game: ownership.

Michael’s influence was so great that he forced MTV, which had previously refused to play Black artists, to air his videos or risk losing all CBS Records content. The network caved, and soon “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller” were in heavy rotation, changing MTV—and pop culture—forever.

Taking On the Industry’s Darkest Forces

But Michael’s most dangerous moves were against the very industry that made him famous. In 2002, he publicly accused Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola of being “a devil” who manipulated and intimidated artists. Michael claimed Mottola tapped phones and used fear to control talent, and even comforted Mariah Carey, who described her marriage to Mottola as suffocating and oppressive.

Michael’s willingness to speak out against such powerful figures came at a cost. He was met with resistance, negative press, and even sabotage. But he continued to fight for ownership and artist rights, quietly building a legacy that would outlast him.

Legacy of a Silent Power

Even after his death, Michael Jackson’s estate continues to earn hundreds of millions of dollars from the publishing deals he orchestrated. His power was never just about fame or talent; it was about control, strategy, and a willingness to play the game at the highest level.

For Prince, realizing the true extent of Michael’s influence was a turning point. Their rivalry may have been stoked by the media, but beneath it was a mutual respect—and perhaps a little fear. Michael Jackson wasn’t just the King of Pop; he was a kingmaker, a boardroom shark, and, in his own way, one of the most dangerous men in music.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly how he wanted it.