"In da Club" is Michael Jackson's favourite song that surprised everyone

Sometimes people have unexpected musical tastes that nobody could have thought of until a certain moment. Such was the case with Michael Jackson. Who would have thought that the pop king would gravitate towards... rap. That even sounds weird!

We'd probably take it as a joke, but history. Chris Tucker - a close friend of Michael's - proves it's the whole, crazy truth! So, why was the King of Pop a fan of "In da Club" rapper 50 Centand is it true that he bought the rights to the songs and albums he liked?

How Chris Tucker and Michael Jackson once rode in a car

Chris Tucker - American actor and comedian. He was a close friend of Jackson's, and the two often hung out together. So, according to Tucker's recollection, one day they were driving in the car and the radio was playing "In da Club" rapper 50 Cent. At that moment, Chris discovered Michael from a new side. Believe it or not, the King of Pop started humming:

"You'll find me at the club,
Surrounded by bottles of champagne!"

Chris recalls:

"We were travelling in the car when 'In da Club' came on. And then strange things started happening to Michael. He started literally jumping to the beat, humming, snapping his fingers... I was amazed. I asked him, "Michael, what are you doing?". And he said, "I'm sorry Chris, I can't help myself. It's a really, really cool beat, and rhythm, and I can't resist...". I go, "No, no Michael... It's too much." And he goes, "I'm sorry, Chris, but I'm into it!"

According to Tucker, Michael also loved the tracks Rick Rossa:

"One day we were walking through the shopping centre and Rick Ross came on. And I hear Michael start mumbling something to the beat of the music under his breath. I said, "Hey, don't tell me you're singing that?" And he's like, "Oh, no, that's not me." But a few more seconds go by, and I catch him red-handed. And he goes, "Oh, Chris, I'm sorry, but I love Rick Ross..."

The story behind 50 Cent's song, "In da Club."

"In da Club" - the rapper's legendary hit in his genre. 50 Centreleased in the early 2000s and instantly captivated a worldwide audience. The track was played on the radio for years after its release, and it was often played in clubs, of course. The title speaks for itself: it's a song about how cool it is to party in a club. It's about fun, alcohol and... adorable "chicks".

"When me and my 20 bros turn up at the club,
There are twenty more guns in it (Yes)!"

It was a big commercial breakthrough for 50 Cent, as "In da Club" graced the rapper's debut LP and topped the chart Billboard Hot 100 - his first number one hit! The track subsequently gained such a cult following that the magazine Rolling Stone even included it in his list of the best songs of all time! According to many rappers, they wanted to pick up a microphone after hearing this song....

Is it true that Michael Jackson bought back the rights to songs and albums he liked?

So: everything is clear with Michael's favourite song, but one question still remains - is it true that pop king bought back the rights to his favourite songs and albums? Well...

On the one hand this is true, on the other hand not really. Jackson did buy the rights to some artists' music, but not always because he was delighted with it. The most scandalous and high-profile story is related to the fact that Michael once bought the rights to some of his most popular hits Eminemincluding "Without Me" and "The Real Slim Shady"! He did so after the rapper humiliated and mocked the pop king in a music video for "Just Lose It".

In the purchase, the singer also received the rights to music by Shakira, Beck and Björk, as well as soundtracks to the films "The Godfather" and "Mission Impossible". It is noteworthy, but back in the mid-80's Michael purchased the ATV catalogue for $47.5 million with more than one million copyrights, including 250 Beatles songs! What's most interesting about this whole story is that it's precisely Paul McCartney told Jackson how lucrative such acquisitions could be.....