When I heard the news Michael Jackson passed away, I believed it was some practical joke on the internet. But when I arrived to the UCLA medical center and saw all of the people outside holding signs and moping around the Westwood area of LA, reality started to seep in. Damn. Michael Jackson is dead? Often referred to as the "King of Pop" Jackson's persona was so much larger than life that dying from cardiac arrest in a million-dollar mansion seemed too normal a fate for him. I would have expected him to meet his demise at the hands of some exotic animal, or on a space mission gone wrong, or from something fantastic like a time travelling accident.

 

Oddly enough just as my favorite performer of all time, whose music has been with me in times of party and peril, began his spiritual journey celebrities descended upon LA for the 2009 BET Awards. Pooch Hall, of BET & CW's The Game, was also still trying to wrap his mind around the reality of MJ's mortality:

"I'm still like,'Yo Michael Jackson just DIED??' It's crazy, because Michael Jackson had that surreal ambiance and demeanor. He is human, but he was more like a force, an entity, an energy and when he passed, it almost came off as a joke. It's like he can't die."

 

 Actress (and childhood crush of mine), Lark Voorhies (Saved By The Bell, How High) shared her thoughts on Michael's death. 

"It's both a fascinating loss and an intriguing pass on. He has inspired us and enthralled us for so long, I believe his passing will be with us for quite some time. I think it will be a long time before his influence has left us. He's touched so many lives"

Celebrity life coach and best-selling author, Johnny Wimbley (From The Hood To Doing Good), explains why the loss will touch so many people, globally.

"[Michael Jackson is] not just a name thats been recognized, but an individual who has been able to chart himself in different generations. To die at fifty years old and be one of the most recognized names on the planet in terms of being an entertainer... he's the one single name in the world that can be spoken and people know who you're talking about... I'm guaranteeing sightings"

While I'm also predicting droves of people starting to dress up and emulate the actor, Michael Jackson has been shown flattery in the form of imitation for decades. Actress/ Producer Kyla Pratt (All of Us, Dr. Doolittle) shared with me a Michael moment form her childhood.

"My younger brother was really light skinned, so we used to be like, "Dance like Michael!" We were into dancing and stuff so we would practice the wave, and our mama would make us dance. You know everybody's mama makes you dance when they're proud and they make you dance for all their company. But that was every week at my house:  doing Beat It."

 Yukmouth, an Oakland rapper, who has been in my musical lexicon for over a decade, much like Jacko pointed out how Michael not onl influenced his decision to become a rapper, but how he affected music as a whole.

"Without Michael I would've never gotten into music.. The Thriller album, I had the Beat It coat, the glove, the curl with the baby hair, the whole [Shabang], the loafers with the penny, the whole get up, without being on Halloween. So after that I really got into music... from the Ushers to the Chris Brown's and singers who incorporate dancing with their singing, they get it form Mike... they're getting it from him, without him they wouldn't be doing that, they'd be just on some Temptation 'SHOO DOOP' ... U gotta know how to do both, you can't just sit in a chair and sing.. Mike set the standard."

While it has been acknowledged that Jackson's style was greatly influenced by the late James Brown, Michael definitely raised the bar creatively in his dancing, music AND video production.

As I write this, 9 of the top ten albums downloaded on iTunes are from the late singer, making it safe to say that, even though he as died in Los Angeles, he will forever live in iPods, and car stereos. Especially in my car, and MOST especially his song, "Liberian Girl,"(Bad)

Keep up with the latest from Youth Radio. Follow @youthradio on Twitter. Live your digital life on Facebook? Become a fan of YMI-Youth Media International and get updates delivered right to your page.