JAY-Z made several now-viral comments during his Tuesday (Dec. 21) Twitter Spaces conversation with Alicia Keys and music executive Rob Markman. At one point in the evening chat, the hip hop mogul touched on the years-long debate fans have about Michael Jackson and Beyoncé.
When it comes to the crowning the greatest performer of all time, fans have a lot to say about both M.J. and Bey’s legendary runs. On Tuesday, Hov suggested that his wife is on-par, but not better, than Jackson, calling her an “evolution” of the iconic singer.
“Bey’s gonna be mad at this for saying this, but Michael Jackson never had a Coachella,” he said. “She’s an evolution of him because she watched him at 9 [years old]. And [the kids] are the same.”
“Find me a concert that’s as culturally relevant and thrilling as Coachella,” JAY continued. “Beyoncé is gonna be one of the best singers we ever heard because she is such a student.”
Of course, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s comments revived the heated debate between Bey and Jackson on Twitter.
Some disagreed with Hov, saying that Jackson surpassed Beyoncé even without having a national performance platform like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
“Respectfully Michael Jackson never needed anything like Coachella throughout his lifetime,” one person tweeted. “Michael Jackson has had double the audience of anything Beyoncé ever had. M.J. had people literally fainting and being transported on stretchers… No offense but M.J. is unmatched.”
Others argued the opposite way — that Beyoncé is a better artist than M.J. in her own right.
“To think that nobody can ever be a better artist than Michael Jackson is down right delusional. Beyoncé surpassed him years ago,” a fan wrote. “And if Beyoncé were a male, she would have been given that ‘GOAT’ title a long time ago.”
As reported by REVOLT, JAY-Z also claimed during the Twitter Spaces conversation that no one can go up against him in a Verzuz battle. See more of the revived Michael Jackson vs. Beyoncé conversation on debate below.