Michael Jackson’s Explosive Letter Attacking The Beatles, Elvis, and Springsteen Surfaces: “Now is the time for my kingship”
In a raw, rarely-seen letter, Michael Jackson let the mask slip—and what emerged was a fierce and unapologetic voice, challenging music’s racial double standards. Though he had once enjoyed a creative friendship with Paul McCartney, things took a sharp turn in 1985 when Jackson stunned the industry by buying The Beatles’ publishing rights for $47.5 million—outbidding McCartney himself.
What followed was more than just a business deal. It was a cultural eruption.
Recently unearthed and published by a British tabloid, Jackson’s private letters offer a blistering look into the superstar’s frustrations with a white-dominated music industry that crowned figures like Elvis Presley “The King of Rock and Roll” and Bruce Springsteen “The Boss”, while sidelining Black talent.
“Throughout history, white men have always branded the pages of history with Great White Hopes… Elvis being the King of Rock and Roll, Springsteen being The Boss, and The Beatles being the best,” Jackson fumed. While he admitted that The Beatles “were good,” he was clear: “They weren’t better singers or dancers than the Blacks.”
Jackson believed the media was complicit, writing that it could “make the public believe whatever they desire.” But instead of giving in, he declared war—not with violence, but with art:
“I will change this NOW with the power of my songs and dance and looks and total reclusiveness and mystery world. I will rule as the King.”
He dismissed Elvis’ self-proclaimed royalty and boldly claimed,
“I’ll show Springsteen who’s boss.”
Though charged with righteous anger, the letter ultimately points to a vision of unity. Jackson wrote,
“White children can have Black heroes so they don’t grow up prejudiced… My goal is to become so ‘Big’, so powerful. To become such a hero, to end prejudice.”
Fueled by injustice, he added:
“All of this put a fire in me… I did it over anger. To get even. To prove myself. I love white people, Black people, all races. I want what’s fair. Now is the time for my kingship forever.”
The letter is more than a rant—it’s a manifesto. One that reveals Jackson’s burning drive not just to succeed, but to redefine what success should look like in a racially biased industry.
The King of Pop was never just chasing fame. He was fighting for fairness. And this letter proves it.
