November 30, 2010 02:01 PM
By Brittany Hutson
It sounds repetitive and maybe a little cliché but when you stay committed and remain truthful to yourself and your passion, you can reap invaluable rewards. Just ask Kadir Nelson. For a little over a decade, the San-Diego based illustrator has been capturing the beauty of the African American experience while attracting everyone from big-name corporations to celebrities. His talent caught the eye of one of the most influential people of this generation, which resulted in his most recent and infamous work of art yet.
The seeds for the project were planted around 2000 when Nelson was commissioned to do a number of paintings of singer Marvin Gaye. These paintings would be hung in Gaye’s old recording studio in Hollywood, where artists such as Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson recorded.“I’m told [Michael] would visit the studio, not to record, but to look at the painting, which was really, really flattering,” said Nelson.
One afternoon, Nelson received a call from Jackson himself, who told Nelson how much he enjoyed the Marvin Gaye paintings and wanted to commission Nelson to do a painting of him.
“He said ‘I want it to be bigger’,” chuckled Nelson.
Unfortunately, the two wouldn’t get the chance to collaborate on the project. Their paths separated and Jackson passed away in 2009.
After Jackson’s death, Nelson received a call from the gentleman who commissioned the Marvin Gaye paintings. This same guy was also Michael’s manager, unbeknownst to Nelson at the time.
“He said, ‘it’s time for you to do that painting that Michael wanted you to do.”Nelson dedicated nearly a year to painting what is now the cover art for Jackson’s first posthumous release titled Michael, which will be in stores next month. The painting pays homage to the greatest moments of the King of Pop’s solo career. It features a medley of classic MJ images, from his Off the Wall-era tux to his signature red leather jacket from his video for “Beat It.” The painting also includes the image of Jackson from his 1987 hit album Bad and him in his custom-made tuxedo jacket, pink shirt and red bowtie that he wore in the “Billie Jean” video.
“I talked to his brother Jackie and he would help me fill in the gaps of the story I didn’t know,” said Nelson. “It was a really great project and unfortunately, Michael hasn’t been able to see it but the people around him really liked the painting.”
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Friday, January 22, 2010
AP
LOS ANGELES -- Two men administering Michael Jackson's estate are seeking 10 percent of profits they're able to generate from the late pop superstars work, court documents filed Friday show.
Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain filed a motion asking a court to approve the compensation, which will pay for a variety of services both men promise to provide. The filings state that the 10 percent will exclude profits from the "This is It" documentary and Jackson's interest the Sony/ATV music catalog, as well as his own songs.
It is unclear exactly how much Branca and McClain would be paid; an accounting of the estate has not been filed. The men are seeking to become the co-executives and creative directors for a company that will oversee a business based on Jackson's works.
Jackson's estate's value has been estimated at $500 million, but the singer died in significant debt and the estate faces a number of creditors' claims and lawsuits.
The business interests excluded under Branca and McClain's plan are some of the late singer's most significant. Jackson's stake in the Sony-ATV catalog includes publishing rights to music by The Beatles and numerous other artists, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and other stars. They are also forgoing an interest in Jackson's music, which has sold briskly since his death June 25 at age 50.
Branca, who was Jackson's longtime entertainment attorney, would continue to act in that capacity under the arrangement laid out in Friday's filings.
McClain, a music executive and childhood friend of Jackson, would agree to create new albums based on Jackson's unreleased music at a studio he founded with the late Marvin Gaye.
The men, who were designated by Jackson to control his estate in a 2002 will, have controlled its interests since early July.
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Commissioned by Marvin's Room Recording StudioYou are not allowed to view links.
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LoginInspired by the biography, Divided Soul, by David Ritz, "The Life of Marvin Gaye", by Kadir Nelson, is a visual montage detailing the tortured life of one of America's most beloved soul singer's of the twentieth century. Through painted vignettes, Nelson presents Marvin's story, from the singer's youth as an abused child, his rise to fame and fortune as a Motown soul singer, his fall from grace, and his comeback, to his tragic death at the hands of his own father. Painted on a nine feet by four feet canvas, Marvin's epic tale is brought to life in vivid color and stunning detail utilizing both symbolism and candor to recount the singer's troubled and emotional journey.
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