Out Come The Vultures

Never one to pass up an opportunity, Diddy & The Game gathered the troops for a body’s-still-warm tribute to the fallen King of Pop, which includes Usher, Polow Da Don, Mario Winans, Boyz II Men and yes, the return of Chris Brown. Don’t mind the station call-out as the verse comes in – the track debuted yesterday on Los Angeles radio’s Power 106 fm.

Naturally, deep down Brown has to be thanking his bitch-slapping stars for the opportunity to get his name next to a legitimate star or two without the stinking cloud of bullshit his association would bring under traditional collaborative circumstances. After all, Michael Jackson died just a few days after Brown pled guilty to felony assault on Rihanna, which some may have forgotten for a moment in light of the fact that Hollywood icons are dropping like flies and some long-overdue balance to the Hollywood force has recently been brought. Brown may be an abusive plankton, but the man little bitch can dance his ass off – and he owes a good 97 percent of his technique to Jackson.

The lyrics aren’t exactly strokes of genius – the Game’s most distinguished line is Who’s Michael Jackson? / You’re Michael Jackson / I’m Michael Jackson / We all Michael Jackson. Not exactly We Are the World.

Diddy, meanwhile, does what Diddy does best, talking over the beat like he’s having a fireside shat (typo but I’m leaving it), waxing redundant about Michael’s music, his dancing, his “philantropy.” It’s a wonder there aren’t any Sting samples.

The first of many tributes to come, I’m sure.