Producer and music icon Quincy Jones is not happy with the Michael Jackson Estate’s decision to release Xscape, the new posthumous album from the late King of Pop. Jones, who produced three of Jackson’s best albums and his best-known hits, called the new album a clear cash grab.
“They're trying to make money,” Jones told CBC Radio. “And I understand it. Everybody's after money, the estate, the lawyers. It's about money.”
Jones later added, “It's not my business anymore.”
According to Billboard, Jones’ comments do come on the heels of a $10 million lawsuit he filed against the Jackson estate in October. He alleges that the estate has failed to pay him royalties from Jackson’s posthumous releases.
Still, Jones does have fond memories of working with Jackson at the height of Jackson’s fame. The two made Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad together, creating hit after hit. In the CBS interview, Jones discussed Thriller at length and debunked a rumor that he didn’t like “Billie Jean” at first.
“And this whole fallacy of me not liking 'Billie Jean' is a lie,” Jones explained. “It is some lie that started somewhere. Anybody can hear that record's a smash. And also I know where it came from.”
The Xscape album was released last week and features unreleased tracks that were “contemporized” by Timbaland and other producers under the direction of L.A. Reid. The estate promoted the release with a hologram “performance” during the Billboard Music Awards last weekend.