Michael Jackson’s estate has slammed Sexyy Red’s explicit flip of the King of Pop’s classic Beat It.
The condemnation comes after footage of the St Louis rapper’s Just Eat It version went viral on social media earlier this week.
“We were totally unaware of this,” a spokesman for the Estate told Billboard in a statement on Thursday. “The use of the music is unauthorised.”
The viral craze began when Lil Yachty posted the clip of Red rapping along to her version of Michael Jackson’s anthem in the studio.
The footage quickly spread across social media. It drew an angry backlash from Jackson fans after Yachty joked in his caption that Red’s spicy remix was set to appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming Michael biopic.
Red posted a separate clip of her rapping the flip to her Instagram, leaning into the controversy.
“Leaked footage from da Michael Jackson movie hoochie tribute to da best LLMJ,” she wrote.
Rap pioneer Monie Love condemned the sample flip, calling the move “beyond disrespectful”.
“Whoever cleared the Beat It sample for Sexyy Red, I hope they know they not seeing heaven,” she wrote on X. “Playing with MJ name and discography like that is beyond disrespectful!”
Beat It was released as part of Michael Jackson’s Thriller classic in 1982. The Quincy Jones-produced anthem went on to top the Billboard Hot 100.
