Canadian rapper Drake’s hit “Don’t Matter to Me”, featuring previously unheard vocals from Michael Jackson, was absent from the setlist for his Assassination Vacation tour in Manchester, UK.
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No official reason for the exclusion was named, and Drake has yet to comment whether this omission was a conscious choice, but the timing coincided with the release of HBO’s documentary about Jackson.
“Leaving Neverland” features two men, both of whom knew Jackson as little boys and have accused the late pop music icon of sexually abusing them.
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In light of these allegations, those who believed the story launched a social media campaign, #MuteMichaelJackson, and some netizens suspect that Drake has followed in their footsteps.
Reflecting on the possible motives for the decision not to perform the song in Manchester, some wondered why Drake had recorded it in the first place, since the allegations against Michael surfaced long before the documentary’s release:
Social media users showed no mercy while attacking Drake and recalled a video from his concert where he was caressing and “groping” an underage girl on stage:
A vast number of users stepped in to voice support for the late music legend, stressing that the documentary is one-sided, and that Jackson is not even there to defend himself:
Aside from Drake, who has yet to comment on the decision, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to replace Jackson’s “Beat It” song with hits from Nirvana and Chuck Berry as part of their in-game entertainment in the wake of the documentary’s release.
The Simpsons has also removed a vocal performance by MJ from the 1991 episode, called Stark Raving Dad. Jackson played Leon Kompowsky – a man that Homer Simpson met in a mental institution and who believes that he is a famous singer. The episode will no longer be broadcast on TV or streamed online.
Michael Jackson’s life has been a subject of much speculation and criticism in the media and court rooms due to child abuse allegations.
Back in 2005, Jackson was found not guilty on four counts of molesting a minor, four counts of intoxicating a minor to molest him, one count of attempted child molestation and one count of conspiring to hold a boy captive at his Neverland Ranch in California.
READ MORE: Paedophilia Accusations Against Michael Jackson Dismissed as 'Fabricated Filth
Jackson died on 25 June, 2009, at the age of 50, after suffering a cardiac arrest and going into a coma. His death is said to have been caused by “acute propofol intoxication” in combination with sedatives.