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Episode 213

Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” at 35: New Jack Swing, Videos and Memories

Michael Jackson’s Dangerous turns 35, so DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray pull out the liner notes, the memories and the mess to talk about the album that closed out Michael’s classic run and dropped him squarely into the New Jack Swing era. Think Teddy Riley drums, prime‑time video premieres and Black folks glued to the TV on Sunday night. This one feels like sitting in the living room talking about the first time you saw “Remember the Time” and tried to hit that choreography at school the next day.

In this episode, they get into:

  1. How leaving Quincy Jones and linking with Teddy Riley shifted Michael into a 90s New Jack Swing sound, while still keeping pieces of the classic studio team like Bruce Swedien and Bill Bottrell in the mix.​
  2. Why the “Black or White” premiere felt like a TV event, from Macaulay Culkin and Tyra Banks to the morphing effects and that controversial, angry street sequence tied to early 90s racial tension.​
  3. The impact of “Remember the Time” as a Black cultural moment, with Eddie Murphy, Iman, Magic Johnson, the Fly Girls and Fatima Robinson choreography that folded in dances like the Bart Simpson.​
  4. Deep‑cut love for singles like “In the Closet,” “Jam” and the nine‑single run that kept Dangerous on radio and TV for years, plus how the tour and videos leaned into fashion, sensuality and spectacle.​
  5. How Dangerous works as the last chapter of Michael’s classic era, the weight of what came after, and the way the album still lives in Black memory through parties, choreography and those big 90s TV moments.

Read These Related Articles

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Queue Points: MJ, the biopic & why Dangerous matters

02:10 From Quincy to the ’90s: Michael’s new era and something to prove

03:41 New Jack Swing takeover: Teddy Riley and the Dangerous sound

04:42 The Music Videos

05:42 “Black or White” premiere: tech, star power, and the controversial ending

10:47 “Remember the Time” as a cultural moment: Egypt, choreography, and the kiss

16:24 Singles for days: “In the Closet,” Naomi, and riding the album for years

19:03 After the peak: tour stakes, career derailment, and the Jackson release-cycle theory

22:19 Legacy check: Neverland imagery, fashion icon status, and why Dangerous still holds up

24:11 Wrap-up & how to support Queue Points

Support Queue Points By Becoming An Insider: https://link.queuepoints.com/membership

#QueuePoints, #MichaelJackson, #DangerousAlbum, #NewJackSwing, #BlackMusicHistory, #BlackPopCulture, #RememberTheTime, #BlackOrWhite, #TeddyRiley, #90sRNB, #90sKids, #BlackCulture, #BlackJoy, #CookoutMusic, #BasementPartyVibes, #QuietStorm, #MusicPodcast, #BlackPodcasts, #PopMusicHistory, #RBHistory, #BlackIcons, #JanetJackson, #MTV90s, #FoxSundayNight, #InLivingColor, #BlackChoreography, #FatimaRobinson, #Iman, #NaomiCampbell, #EddieMurphy, #KingOfPop

Transcript
Sir Daniel:

Greetings and welcome to another episode of Queue Points Popping.

Sir Daniel:

Ha Watermelon podcast.

Sir Daniel:

Greetings and welcome to another episode of Queue Points podcast.

Sir Daniel:

I am DJ Sir Daniel,

Jay Ray:

and my name is Jay Ray, sometimes known by my government

Jay Ray:

as Johnnie Ray Kornegay III.

Jay Ray:

And we are about to talk about the king of pop and one of the biggest

Jay Ray:

moments in pop culture history.

Sir Daniel:

That's right.

Sir Daniel:

But before we do that, Jay Ray, are you excited for the,

Sir Daniel:

for the biopic for the movie?

Jay Ray:

You know what, actually I am now, so, uh.

Jay Ray:

I like documentaries.

Jay Ray:

Don't love biopics.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Because I often find that biopics charlie, especially the after the

Jay Ray:

last Michael Jackson biopic, I was just like, you know what, I'm good.

Jay Ray:

Uh,

Sir Daniel:

wasn't really a biopic because it was, it wasn't

Sir Daniel:

in theaters, it was on no shade.

Sir Daniel:

The VH one, but

Jay Ray:

one, no shade to them.

Jay Ray:

But, um, so no,

Sir Daniel:

you did play in our faces though.

Jay Ray:

They did shout out to Flex Alexander for getting that check.

Sir Daniel:

Oh, shout out to Flex Alexander and that foolishness.

Sir Daniel:

Who was, who was, uh, recently in a Tubby movie that's

Sir Daniel:

supposed to be hot and Stevie.

Sir Daniel:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

But anyway, aside from that,

Jay Ray:

yes.

Sir Daniel:

Um, the biopic is coming.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

Um, and I just re recently saw MJ the musical, took my mom

Sir Daniel:

to see that for her birthday.

Sir Daniel:

So Michael Jackson is just, you know, bubbling in my soul and we are discussing.

Sir Daniel:

What is inarguably your favorite Michael Jackson album?

Jay Ray:

Second favorite, dangerous.

Sir Daniel:

Second.

Sir Daniel:

I thought it was your favorite.

Jay Ray:

No second favorite.

Jay Ray:

Off the wall is definitely my favorite.

Sir Daniel:

Okay.

Sir Daniel:

All right.

Sir Daniel:

Dangerous about Kobe talking, talking about dangerous.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

Okay, so let's hit it.

Sir Daniel:

Let's talk about dangerous.

Sir Daniel:

There was so much, um, fan fear around.

Sir Daniel:

This album, he truly had a lot to prove.

Sir Daniel:

Would you say that it's true?

Jay Ray:

Absolutely.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

So, um, dangerous, uh, in the time in between, uh, bad and

Jay Ray:

Dangerous, uh, Michael Jackson, uh, stopped working with Quincy Jones.

Sir Daniel:

Hmm.

Jay Ray:

Um, and that relationship, of course shepherded, uh, the

Jay Ray:

biggest selling album of all time in Thriller, but also gave Michael

Jay Ray:

Jackson off the wall and gave him bad.

Jay Ray:

And really solidified Michael Jackson, um, as a force to be

Jay Ray:

reckoned with, as a solo act.

Jay Ray:

Made him like huge, like he was otherworldly.

Jay Ray:

And then I. The nineties were different though.

Jay Ray:

So couple of things that are really interesting that I think happened.

Jay Ray:

Of course there was the, the, the rise of Madonna, um Mm

Jay Ray:

mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

That, that made a big difference.

Jay Ray:

But then you had like Michael Jackson made wave for the

Jay Ray:

possibility for like huge pop stars.

Jay Ray:

So you have, uh, Madonna, you have George Michael, you have Tina Turner, who is

Jay Ray:

literally on fire all over the world.

Jay Ray:

And even by 1991 when dangerous comes out, Michael's little sister, Janet

Jay Ray:

has had two classic albums under her Belt and Rhythm Nation has been a

Jay Ray:

tour now, and it's a whole new world.

Jay Ray:

So this, there was a lot to prove with, um, dangerous and, and

Jay Ray:

Michael definitely wanted more control, but he also wanted to.

Jay Ray:

Come into the nineties with the sound of the era and you know, we love this sound

Sir Daniel:

and I think you're talking about new jack swing, of course.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

And if you're gonna get the, if you're gonna get some authentic new jack swing,

Sir Daniel:

you gotta go directly to the chef that is popping the most at that moment.

Sir Daniel:

And that, of course is Teddy Riley.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

And, um, immediately from the beginning we noticed that.

Sir Daniel:

Michael is like, okay, this is a fresh new sound for Michael.

Sir Daniel:

It sounds modern, it sounds hip.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

And then we're all kinda like, Hmm, what, what is going on here?

Sir Daniel:

Why does it sound like this?

Sir Daniel:

Why is it so good?

Sir Daniel:

Uh, Teddy Riley is helping to promote, to produce it.

Sir Daniel:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

But, um, aside from riding the wave of a fresh new sound, I think

Sir Daniel:

there are, there were several events around this album that.

Sir Daniel:

Added to the mythology of it and added to the, to the boost that it felt, um,

Sir Daniel:

to the excitement around the album.

Sir Daniel:

And, uh, we're gonna explore that just a little bit.

Sir Daniel:

So there are several events around this album, uh, Jay Ray

Sir Daniel:

that catapult this record into.

Sir Daniel:

The atmosphere.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

It builds up the mythology behind it.

Sir Daniel:

It really literally turns this album into a primetime event.

Sir Daniel:

And one of those things, of course is the, are the music

Sir Daniel:

videos associated with this album?

Sir Daniel:

And it felt, if I could remember correctly, it felt like each video

Sir Daniel:

release was a primetime network affair.

Sir Daniel:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Yeah, it certainly was.

Jay Ray:

And, and I think Michael referred to these as like many, many

Jay Ray:

movies by this point or whatever.

Jay Ray:

So Michael Jackson, especially coming out of Thriller, you know, all of

Jay Ray:

these videos, remember when Bad came out and I, it was on like a,

Jay Ray:

B, C, like we could just watch it.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

So same thing with.

Jay Ray:

Uh, when black or white showed up.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Now I'm gonna tell you what's interesting about black or white showing up and III.

Jay Ray:

Think

Jay Ray:

what Michael did with dangerous is he was teasing stuff to radio at the time,

Jay Ray:

so r and b radio, I think it picked up jam as like a song that it was

Jay Ray:

kind of like a teaser little single.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

I was like, yo, this is crazy that Michael Jackson is doing this, right.

Jay Ray:

With Heavy D, you know, doing a rap and all of that stuff, right?

Jay Ray:

But then, so the first single that we officially get, the first official

Jay Ray:

single is of course, black and white.

Jay Ray:

And I don't remember which network that premiered on, but it was a whole event.

Jay Ray:

So you have McCulley Culkin.

Jay Ray:

Video, I think slash is in the video.

Jay Ray:

There's like guitars and the whole thing, and Michael's

Jay Ray:

standing on the Statue of Liberty.

Sir Daniel:

Yep.

Sir Daniel:

Yep.

Jay Ray:

With with tape, there's

Sir Daniel:

also

Jay Ray:

tapes.

Sir Daniel:

There's also a little known supermodel.

Jay Ray:

Yes.

Sir Daniel:

By the, by the name of Tyra Banks

Jay Ray:

being

Sir Daniel:

extra, some young man heard of being extra, which is, you know, you're

Sir Daniel:

not Tyra Banks if you're not being extra.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

But you know, so we, we get this music video that is very,

Jay Ray:

this is what I consider to be.

Jay Ray:

Michael Jackson's final form.

Jay Ray:

So if we had any inkling of who Michael Jackson was going to be as an artist,

Jay Ray:

I think black and white encompasses black or white, encompasses all of it.

Jay Ray:

Um, where it's like multicultural in this way that.

Jay Ray:

Undeniable, but gives Michael Jackson kind of this international gravitas and I think

Jay Ray:

black or white really does encompass that.

Jay Ray:

But Sir Daniel, and I know you remember this, the controversy

Jay Ray:

though, so the video goes fine.

Jay Ray:

There's, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a McCulley

Jay Ray:

Culkin, there's a music video, there's a Tyra Banks and there's morphing.

Jay Ray:

It actually has some really cool technology 'cause it has the morphing

Jay Ray:

technology that, that is new.

Jay Ray:

But then Michael, because he is Michael Jackson, he's also extra

Sir Daniel:

mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Has a whole ending of this music video that involves.

Jay Ray:

Cars and breaking of windows,

Sir Daniel:

which got people's panties in a big knot.

Sir Daniel:

For whatever reason it was, they were just so appalled and

Sir Daniel:

so shocked by the violence.

Sir Daniel:

Right.

Sir Daniel:

Of the, of the video.

Sir Daniel:

Now I think we got to, we have to.

Sir Daniel:

Put into context, um, that even though Michael Jackson is the king of pop,

Sir Daniel:

and you know, this sounds like a really nice universal theme for this

Sir Daniel:

out, for this record, but Michael Jackson is severely disturbed by, um,

Sir Daniel:

a lot of racial, um, violence that has been happening in our country.

Sir Daniel:

And so I think Michael reacting or.

Sir Daniel:

Having a place to display his anger triggered, um, America because

Sir Daniel:

they think, oh, this is cute.

Sir Daniel:

Little Michael Jackson.

Sir Daniel:

Michael Jackson is fun and he's gonna, he likes to boogie, ride the

Sir Daniel:

Boogie, and he, you know, he's here to entertain us and make a smile.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

No, Michael, I believe Michael Jackson is also pissed as a black man.

Sir Daniel:

In the United States is also pissed and you're gonna get, you're

Sir Daniel:

gonna feel a little bit of that.

Sir Daniel:

You're gonna feel

Jay Ray:

a little bit of that.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

You know what, thank you for, um, for bringing that to bear.

Jay Ray:

I think that's like really important too, is we, I think we often.

Jay Ray:

We don't, Michael made it hard to forget that he was also, uh, concerned

Jay Ray:

with what was happening in the world.

Jay Ray:

So every record, especially post, once again post thriller, uh, kind of mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

In included some nod to what was happening.

Jay Ray:

You know what I'm saying?

Jay Ray:

In the.

Jay Ray:

In the world, so we get heal the world.

Jay Ray:

This is also Post We Are the World that Michael Jackson co-wrote

Jay Ray:

with Lionel Richie, so we can heal the world on this album.

Jay Ray:

So Michael Jackson gets that his voice can be used in, in this very special way.

Jay Ray:

But to that point, so we, we, black or white, comes out and

Jay Ray:

is uh, uh, number one single.

Jay Ray:

It actually debuts at number one.

Jay Ray:

Um, it spends four weeks at number one, but.

Jay Ray:

Something magical happens by single number two, and it is one of those

Jay Ray:

singles that if you wanna get black folks doing choreography from all

Jay Ray:

generations, we gotta talk about.

Jay Ray:

Remember the time And this music video was so

Sir Daniel:

special.

Sir Daniel:

Remember the time was, like I said before, was an event.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

That was an event if III want to say it.

Sir Daniel:

World premiered on Fox.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

I think so too.

Sir Daniel:

It might have World premiered on Fox and I just remember

Sir Daniel:

I, as a matter of fact, it world premiered on a Sunday night, I think

Sir Daniel:

it was during and living color.

Sir Daniel:

Because I remember that being the talk of first period of homeroom and

Sir Daniel:

first period the next day at school.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

I mean, if you didn't see that video.

Sir Daniel:

You missed out.

Sir Daniel:

People were already trying to copy the dance moves.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

I know that, um, specifically here in Atlanta, um, a lot of us were geeked

Sir Daniel:

because, um, Michael Jackson and Fatima, of course Fatima that same.

Sir Daniel:

Robinson.

Jay Ray:

Robinson, yeah.

Sir Daniel:

Robinson Fatima Robinson incorporated the Bart Simpson

Jay Ray:

Yep.

Sir Daniel:

Into the choreography, which is a dance that when I tell you.

Sir Daniel:

The kids here in Atlanta had adopted that dance and it, it was everywhere.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

So it was just so exciting to see all the fly girls, 'cause they

Sir Daniel:

were, all the fly girls from Living Color were in this video as well.

Sir Daniel:

Um, it was Star studded.

Sir Daniel:

Jay Ray, you had Eddie Murphy, Iman, mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

Um, magic Johnson Johnson.

Sir Daniel:

Yep.

Sir Daniel:

Um, who else was in.

Sir Daniel:

Um, who else was in the movie?

Jay Ray:

Who else was in,

Sir Daniel:

remember the time Was the movie,

Jay Ray:

the video?

Jay Ray:

The movie?

Jay Ray:

No, no, no.

Jay Ray:

But to

Sir Daniel:

that one was almost like a movie.

Jay Ray:

It was literally like a mini movie.

Jay Ray:

So you get.

Jay Ray:

This ancient Egyptian mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Um, idea.

Jay Ray:

And so Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson, totally friends, right?

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

And, um, Eddie had already, of course, played royalty in coming to America.

Sir Daniel:

Yep.

Jay Ray:

And you get Eddie Murphy as, as the king, um, and Iman as the queen.

Jay Ray:

This is, and, and so remember the time also reminds.

Jay Ray:

Wow.

Jay Ray:

Black or white is squarely, like I said, Michael Jackson, final

Jay Ray:

form International Superstar.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Remember the time also reminds us that Michael Jackson's black.

Jay Ray:

Yes.

Jay Ray:

Even though his complexion looks really different, Michael Jackson is

Jay Ray:

black and this is a black music video.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

With black stars and black dancers.

Jay Ray:

And Michael is literally doing the Bart Simpson.

Jay Ray:

We, Michael Jackson is doing these dances that we do and it felt like, yo,

Sir Daniel:

but you know what I wanna bring to your attention, Jay Ray?

Sir Daniel:

This also, there was a moment in the video which caused.

Sir Daniel:

A lot of conversation as well.

Jay Ray:

Yeah, it did.

Sir Daniel:

Michael Jackson's infamous onscreen kiss.

Sir Daniel:

He did?

Sir Daniel:

Yes.

Sir Daniel:

With Iman.

Sir Daniel:

And I'm trying to think back.

Sir Daniel:

I don't think, did he not kiss in the, in any of his previous videos?

Sir Daniel:

Because he always had like a leading lady.

Sir Daniel:

Um, maybe

Jay Ray:

in the way you make the,

Sir Daniel:

I was gonna say make me feel lady.

Sir Daniel:

The pretty lady with the high heels on III.

Sir Daniel:

Think What about Ola and um.

Sir Daniel:

Thriller.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

They didn't kiss and thriller, but I do think they didn't kiss and thriller.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

But this was a big deal though,

Sir Daniel:

and people lost their minds.

Sir Daniel:

People was like, ah, shucks.

Sir Daniel:

Michael trying to, Michael, Michael grown some hair on his chest and.

Sir Daniel:

You know?

Sir Daniel:

Yes.

Sir Daniel:

That's a whole nother conversation about Michael Jackson and his

Sir Daniel:

relationship to, to masculinity.

Jay Ray:

Yes.

Sir Daniel:

Through the, through the American male lens

Sir Daniel:

is a different conversation.

Sir Daniel:

Mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

But yeah, that, that video was truly the talk of the town.

Jay Ray:

Um, which I will say, uh, like III said at the, at the

Jay Ray:

beginning, I think remember the time.

Jay Ray:

Uh, encompasses why this record is so dope, it, uh, black or white in, in

Jay Ray:

connection with, remember the time, uh, encompasses why the record is so dope.

Jay Ray:

So half of the records you get, um, uh, Teddy Riley in

Jay Ray:

the new Jack Swing, uh, era.

Jay Ray:

And then the other half, I think, uh, bill Trell or Bruce Sweet Trell.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Bill Bottrell, uh, did black or white.

Jay Ray:

Uh, along with Teddy and Michael, but, uh, uh, Bruce Sweden did like most of

Jay Ray:

the other half of the album as well.

Jay Ray:

You, so you get this kind of amalgamation of classic Michael and then Michael

Jay Ray:

situated in, in, in what's happening in, in black, uh, uh, culture now.

Jay Ray:

And for better or for worse, I think that, um.

Jay Ray:

While it allowed Michael Jackson to, uh, continue his ascent, uh,

Jay Ray:

uh, you know, in his superstardom right, um, this album also.

Jay Ray:

I think made everything after it really difficult.

Jay Ray:

So dangerous for all intents and purposes is kind of the culmination

Jay Ray:

of Michael Jackson's classic period.

Jay Ray:

So if we're talking about off the wall, thriller, bad, and then

Jay Ray:

dangerous, this is kind of the end.

Jay Ray:

And what, what, what unfortunately happens, uh, one, we get

Jay Ray:

all these great singles.

Jay Ray:

Let me just run off the singles and then we'll talk about what

Jay Ray:

happens after in the closet.

Jay Ray:

Jane.

Sir Daniel:

Underrated.

Jay Ray:

Underrated.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

So in the closet, you mentioned this to me, you were like, listen,

Jay Ray:

when I get to do put a set up, I'm gonna put in the closet in the set.

Jay Ray:

What is it about that song?

Sir Daniel:

I will, I will put up in the closet next to remember the time.

Sir Daniel:

Before, remember the time, every time, and I know that that's the DJ thing

Sir Daniel:

to go to, but in the closet is a bop.

Sir Daniel:

And, uh, there are, there's a specific remix on there that is just, it's kind

Sir Daniel:

of, it's kind of just Michael riding a break beat, riding the break beat

Sir Daniel:

of, um, I think is it funky drumm?

Sir Daniel:

No, it's not Funky drummer, but it's one of the, it's, it's, it is

Sir Daniel:

one of the break beats that is very synonymous with new Jack swing and

Sir Daniel:

he's just riding that beat, singing, and, um, of course we get the whisper.

Sir Daniel:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

You know, the, the whisper, um, of who I found out was the princess of Monaco was

Sir Daniel:

actually the young lady behind that voice.

Sir Daniel:

Um, but yeah, I will just, it just, it's, it, it's just a little funkier to me.

Sir Daniel:

Mm. And, um.

Sir Daniel:

Yeah, I, and I, I'm just like that if, if people, if they're

Sir Daniel:

like a hundred people playing.

Sir Daniel:

Um, remember the time I'm gonna be one of the five people playing, keeping in

Sir Daniel:

the closet 'cause it was just that dope.

Sir Daniel:

And then you had a dope video with Naomi Campbell in it.

Jay Ray:

Absolutely.

Jay Ray:

Once again, Michael Jackson was definitely pulling out the black

Jay Ray:

models for this whole album.

Jay Ray:

So you get in mind you get Naomi Campbell.

Sir Daniel:

He's doing.

Sir Daniel:

He is Tyra.

Sir Daniel:

He's doing,

Jay Ray:

yeah,

Sir Daniel:

he's, he is leaning on sex a lot more too.

Sir Daniel:

Yes.

Sir Daniel:

In this album.

Jay Ray:

Yeah, definitely.

Jay Ray:

Very sensual.

Jay Ray:

Um, but yes, in the closet you get jammed.

Jay Ray:

Who is it?

Jay Ray:

Uh, heal the World.

Jay Ray:

Give to me.

Jay Ray:

Will you be there gone too soon?

Jay Ray:

There was nine.

Jay Ray:

Singles for this record.

Jay Ray:

This record had how many songs on it?

Jay Ray:

So 14 songs, 14.

Jay Ray:

Only five of those songs weren't singles.

Jay Ray:

They rode this record out until like 1993.

Jay Ray:

So the, the, the, uh, dangerous tour, which grossed over like a hundred

Jay Ray:

million dollars or something crazy.

Jay Ray:

Um.

Jay Ray:

They rode this record out for a couple of years, which is what you did back then.

Jay Ray:

Like if you released a record, you had two or three years to ride that

Jay Ray:

record out, which we cannot do today.

Jay Ray:

But, so that, that brings us to, I think, a, a really, uh, I think.

Jay Ray:

Pivotal moment is dangerous.

Jay Ray:

Also Marks the point where Michael Jackson's career, uh, kind of derails.

Jay Ray:

Um, because all of the personal stuff right, that begins to happen around

Jay Ray:

Michael Jackson, which is a whole other conversation that we just don't

Jay Ray:

have time to spend, uh, on here.

Jay Ray:

But, um, I enjoyed, so the record that came after this was

Jay Ray:

history, which showed up in 95.

Jay Ray:

'cause Michael was all big on a four year break.

Sir Daniel:

Yes.

Jay Ray:

I also wonder, and I don't know if anybody knows this, let us know in the

Jay Ray:

comments if you do, if at some point, uh, Michael, if Michael's team was like, we're

Jay Ray:

gonna alternate off, off of Janet ears.

Jay Ray:

So if you know what I'm saying?

Jay Ray:

So if Janet got something to come, that's a great, yeah.

Jay Ray:

If she got something coming in 89, we are gonna give it a couple of years.

Jay Ray:

So we'll come in 91.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Because then Janet.

Jay Ray:

It came in 93.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

And then Michael came back in 95, so I'm like, mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

I wonder if her team figured out or their teams figured out like, no, we need

Jay Ray:

to like alternate these years because

Sir Daniel:

you know what?

Sir Daniel:

That's actually a sound theory.

Sir Daniel:

It makes sense.

Sir Daniel:

It's like, oh, we, you know, we can rule the world, right?

Sir Daniel:

We continue to, the Jackson name will reign on these charts

Sir Daniel:

regardless if it's you or me.

Sir Daniel:

And being that, and I think that they were each other's favorite siblings.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

Or, and you know, best, um, best sibling friends.

Sir Daniel:

So.

Sir Daniel:

That makes total sense.

Sir Daniel:

I wouldn't be surprised if they did, if that was a, an actual tactic.

Sir Daniel:

And, um, yeah.

Sir Daniel:

I also wanna point out that what I learned from the Broadway musical

Sir Daniel:

was that this, this album and this tour, he had a lot writing on this.

Sir Daniel:

I mean, financially putting up his own properties for, to finance

Sir Daniel:

this tour, specifically the tour.

Sir Daniel:

Because he wanted it to be the most amazing thing that had ever

Sir Daniel:

happened, which he achieved.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

I mean, III know people say this, and it sounds really

Sir Daniel:

hyperbolic, but it, it's the truth.

Sir Daniel:

There was never another human being that could stand before

Sir Daniel:

millions all gathered in one place.

Sir Daniel:

And not have to say a word.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

But to have them completely losing it.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

Screaming at the top of their lungs.

Sir Daniel:

Yeah.

Sir Daniel:

Ambulances are loading up people by the, that are fainting by the fives

Sir Daniel:

and tens at a time, just fainting.

Sir Daniel:

And he hasn't uttered word.

Sir Daniel:

He's just standing there.

Jay Ray:

Mm.

Sir Daniel:

You can't even see his eyes because of his reflective, um, aviation,

Jay Ray:

the aviator glasses.

Sir Daniel:

And he's just standing there with his app, his app outlets and just

Jay Ray:

mm-hmm.

Sir Daniel:

That's like, that's power.

Sir Daniel:

And I think that made a lot of people nervous.

Sir Daniel:

But that's, you know, that's part of that other part of the

Sir Daniel:

story that we're gonna leave.

Sir Daniel:

'cause there's plenty of people that will pontificate about that.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Um, I love that so much.

Jay Ray:

III.

Jay Ray:

Think.

Jay Ray:

Um, dangerous holds up as a record, as a, a collective body of work.

Jay Ray:

Um.

Jay Ray:

Speaking of, uh, before we, before we wrap up today's show too, I do think, um,

Jay Ray:

by, by the time Dangerous is released, Michael is now living in Neverland.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Michael is incorporating that kind of, uh, circus idea into the cover where

Jay Ray:

it's like a, a amusement park mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Thing, which he had started kind of coming out with.

Jay Ray:

Leave me Alone.

Jay Ray:

Yes.

Jay Ray:

You saw a lot of that.

Jay Ray:

Coming into that, but you see it really kind of pronounced as he shows up in,

Jay Ray:

in, in dangerous and, and, and pieces of Michael's eye or Michael's curl that's

Jay Ray:

kind of coming down, uh, his face.

Jay Ray:

But Michael Jackson was, he was a fashion icon.

Jay Ray:

He would, there were literally.

Jay Ray:

People that were like trying to mimic these looks.

Jay Ray:

He was a, a dancing icon.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Where there were people doing the dances.

Jay Ray:

And to your point about the tour, like.

Jay Ray:

This man probably had to lose 10 pounds every night going on stage.

Jay Ray:

And he's never's not

Sir Daniel:

a big man to begin

Jay Ray:

with.

Jay Ray:

He's not a big man to begin with.

Jay Ray:

Right.

Jay Ray:

I never had the opportunity to see Michael Jackson live, but I can't even fathom what

Jay Ray:

that would be like because you are right.

Jay Ray:

You would, we would see the videos of the people just like screaming passed out.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Not because.

Jay Ray:

Something happened to them, but because they were so overwhelmed by this man in

Jay Ray:

front, by his presence, wow, me presence.

Jay Ray:

Super duper star.

Jay Ray:

Dangerous is a bop.

Jay Ray:

Y'all should go play it.

Jay Ray:

It is the 35th anniversary of this record.

Jay Ray:

Um, and I'm sure, uh, with the Teddy Riley, uh, uh, uh, book

Jay Ray:

that's coming out, I'm sure he has.

Jay Ray:

Stuff about Mark Jackson stories.

Jay Ray:

Absolutely.

Jay Ray:

Mm-hmm.

Jay Ray:

Yeah.

Jay Ray:

Y'all, thank y'all so much for hanging out with Queue Points.

Jay Ray:

If you can see our faces and hear our voices, hey, subscribe wherever you are.

Jay Ray:

Tell your friends, tell your family about the show.

Jay Ray:

If you like it, chances are they will as well.

Jay Ray:

You can support Queue Points, um, so you can support us by subscribing,

Jay Ray:

but you can also support us financially by becoming a member.

Jay Ray:

Being able to keep the lights on and Queue Points land.

Jay Ray:

Being able to keep these recordings going and keep us doing the thing

Jay Ray:

is really important and we can only do that with your support.

Jay Ray:

So you can do that on our website at Queue Points dot com.

Jay Ray:

You can also, yes, as dj Sir Daniel does his choreography.

Jay Ray:

You can also visit our website.

Jay Ray:

Listen to all of our old episodes.

Jay Ray:

Shop our store at store dot Queue Points dot com and uh, visit us on Substack

Jay Ray:

where we have some dope, uh, stuff there.

Jay Ray:

We also have a great video on uh, Michael Jackson as well.

Jay Ray:

I think we did a Michael Jackson's top videos or something.

Jay Ray:

We did a whole thing on Michael Jackson.

Jay Ray:

Go check out that show as well.

Jay Ray:

'cause that's super funny.

Jay Ray:

Um, what.

Jay Ray:

It's super dope, but there's a funny moment in it where we talk about, you

Jay Ray:

know, Michael Jackson, like being a Jehovah's Witness and like knocking

Jay Ray:

on people's doors in the eighties.

Jay Ray:

It's great times.

Jay Ray:

Go listen to that show too.

Sir Daniel:

That's right.

Sir Daniel:

And we thank you once again for joining us.

Sir Daniel:

Um, as I say at during every episode and this life, you have a choice.

Sir Daniel:

You could either pick up the needle or you could let the record play.

Sir Daniel:

I'm DJ Sir Daniel.

Jay Ray:

My name is Jay Ray.

Jay Ray:

Peace,

Sir Daniel:

and this has been Queue Points podcast, dropping

Sir Daniel:

the needle on black music history.

Sir Daniel:

We will see you on the next go round.

Jay Ray:

Peace y'all.

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About the Podcast

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Queue Points

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About your hosts

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DJ Sir Daniel

DJ Sir Daniel is a DJ/Selector and part of Atlanta's, all-vinyl crew, Wax Fundamentals. Co-host of the Queue Points podcast, he is an advocate for DJ culture and is passionate about creating atmospheres of inclusivity and jubilation from a Black perspective.

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Jay Ray

Johnnie Ray Kornegay III (Jay Ray) is a podcast consultant and co-host and producer of Queue Points, the Ambie Award-nominated podcast that drops the needle on Black music history. In addition to his duties at Queue Points, he is the Deputy Director of Strategy and Impact for CNP (Counter Narrative Project). A photographer, creative consultant and social commentator, Jay Ray's work is centered around a commitment to telling full and honest stories about communities often ignored.