Usher performs at the Michael Jackson public memorial in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009
Photo: Mario Anzuoni/ Getty Images

Two different, star-studded tributes to Michael Jackson have begun to take shape. The first, according to TMZ, is an all-star remake of the late pop singer's "Will You Be There" that will reportedly feature vocals from Usher, Wyclef Jean, Jermaine Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Dionne Warwick. (John Mayer was also said to be participating, but his spokesperson told MTV News that TMZ's report was false.)

That effort is reportedly being led by Shawn King, wife of TV talker Larry King, who will also lend her vocals to the song. King told TMZ she's not yet sure if Jennifer Hudson — who performed the song at last month's memorial service for Jackson — will participate in the tribute because she has just given birth to her first child. Proceeds from the song, the release date of which has not yet been announced, will be split 50/50 between the Larry King Cardiac Foundation and an unspecified charity close to Jackson.

In the meantime, the New York Post reported that Shawn King, Whitney Houston, Madonna and President Barack Obama will not be participating in Jermaine Jackson's global tribute to his brother, who died on June 25 at the age of 50 after suffering cardiac arrest. The show is being planned for September 26 on a crown-shaped stage at the Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria, according to The Associated Press. The lineup for the three-hour show will reportedly be revealed in two weeks, but early reports are that it will feature around 10 major entertainers who will perform 15 to 20 of Jackson's hits. Jermaine Jackson said the site was chosen because his brother "loved castles."

• Michael Jackson: The Memorial

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
• Michael Jackson's Public Memorial At Staples Center

• Michael Jackson
• Usher
• Wyclef Jean
• Whitney Houston
• Dionne Warwick

Wyclef Jean
Photo: MTV News

With one of the more successful collaborations in radio history under her belt, it's only natural that Latin crossover queen Shakira, would return to working with her old friend Wyclef Jean for her forthcoming album, She Wolf, due out this fall.

When MTV News caught up with Wyclef in his New York recording studio recently, he conceded that yes, the pressure was on for their new material. After all, their 2006 hit "Hips Don't Lie" landed the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, spent 25 weeks on the chart, has over 2 million digital downloads and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

"I mean, you know, unfortunately my life is based around pressure," Jean said. "But you gotta treat it like Kobe Bryant, you know? Just go in and play the best game you can. And if you don't make it to the championship this year, you'll be back next year."

Of course, the chemistry between the two artists certainly makes it easier to cook up a monster hit. The pair forged a friendship over the course of the "Hips" recording sessions. They shared experiences of their childhood in the developing world, as well as of becoming two of the most commercially successful champions of global music.

"I have a natural chemistry with Shakira," Wyclef explained. "I love the Latin vibe. The Lebanese vibe. I love the multicultural aspect of the CD. These days it's hard for you to pick up a CD and love it from beginning to end. Shakira represents that 360 degrees of: You put it in, and the whole CD rocks."

The exact number and titles of the tracks Wyclef produced for She Wolf have yet to be confirmed. Pharrell Williams, John Hill and RedOne have also been named as producers on the album. Hill produced the album's first single, "She Wolf," which was co-written by the Bravery's Sam Endicott.

• MTV News RAW: Shakira

• Wyclef Jean
• Shakira

Wyclef Jean
Photo: MTV News

Michael Jackson possessed the sort of fame that was so sweeping and intense that it defied comprehension. Even when he was out of the spotlight, he still commanded fawning, sometimes aggressive crowds whenever he went out in public. That mania wasn't limited to just normal everyday fans, either — even other famous people, who are accustomed to fame being in the public eye, still swooned and stammered when Jackson was in the room.

In an interview that ended up not being included in MTV's "Michael Jackson's Human Nature" special, which aired over the weekend, former Fugees frontman Wyclef Jean admitted as much when he recalled meeting Jackson in 1997. The two worked together briefly on a recording session for the remix album Blood on the Dance Floor (the track never saw the light of day) and Wyclef admitted that the prospect of meeting Jackson was overwhelming.

"When I knew he was coming, I went to the bathroom, put some water on my face and I was rehearsing how I would be talking to Mike," he said. "When I was in the presence of Michael Jackson, I go to shake his hand — and my whole voice box goes out. This is the kind of effect that this man had on me!"

Jean said that even his bodyguards, who tended to shrug off everything, got wound up once Jackson was in the room. But as he explained, Jackson's music was such a huge part of everybody's development that they couldn't help but get excited.

"When somebody is the soundtrack of your life, you can just imagine," he said. "Michael Jackson and Bob Marley — those were the soundtracks of my life."

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

• Wyclef Jean
• Michael Jackson
• The Fugees

Shakira
Photo: MTV News

The economy is hurting, and Shakira is here to help.

The hip-shaking, belly-undulating mistress of sultry Latin music spent more than a year toiling on She Wolf — her follow-up to 2005's Oral Fixation Vol. 2 — and she's hoping the club-ready album will provide fans a bit of an escape in these uncertain times.

"It's a very electronic album," the singer told MTV News. "Dance-oriented. Club-oriented. I want people to have fun with it. Forget about the troubles. Forget about the crisis. Forget everything for a minute — at least while they listen to the music."

Shakira recorded the album, as well as a forthcoming Spanish-language disc, in the Bahamas, working with producers like Pharrell and Wyclef Jean and incorporating elements of Colombian, Indian, Middle Eastern and African musical styles. While she knew she wanted to capture a more electronic sound from the beginning, she had no idea what the actual shape and feel of the album — out in October — would eventually be.

"You never know the final destination of a creative project," she said. "At first, you are standing in front of a white canvas, and that's the scariest thing on earth. You don't know if you're gonna do justice to the gifts that you have been given. Or if you are gonna be able to present the public something decent. You just have a huge question mark in front of you, and it's just frightening. But from the beginning of the project, I knew that I wanted an album that had a lot more to do with electronica. That would have a more bigger bottom end."

Um, a bigger bottom end?

"I wanted a bassier album with harder sounds," she explained with a laugh. "I wanted the beats to be very solid. I wanted to build a solid foundation starting from the beats."

That's where her producers stepped in. Comparing the collaborative studio process to parents raising a child, the 32-year-old Shakira said of Pharrell, "He comes up with ideas, and he executes them immediately. It's really cool, because I'm a little bit slower, and he's the man with the big strokes, and he really comes with great ideas. It was a great synergy."

And reconnecting with Wyclef meant a chance to try to recapture the salsa- and reggaetón-infused magic that spawned the Billboard-topping 2006 hit "Hips Don't Lie."

"We both grew up in the developing world," Shakira said. "We both have been very close to another kind of reality — you know, extreme poverty. People who don't have the ability to get access to education or even fulfilling their basic needs. And we both share the same visions and the same views about the world and what we can all do to — in our own small way — change that. So that is a recurrent topic of conversation between him and I."

• MTV News RAW: Shakira

• Shakira
• Wyclef Jean
• Pharrell Williams

Ciara
Photo: Jason LaVeris/ FilmMagic

Onstage, on the red carpet and backstage during Sunday night's Michael Jackson-dedicated BET Awards, artists young and old — from elder statesmen the O'Jays to 23-year-old Ciara — shared their personal memories of the King of Pop. They spoke of their reverence for the man, his eccentric tendencies and how even the biggest of stars can get panicky in front of a musical legend.

"I actually talked to him on the phone," Ciara said backstage at a press conference after the show ended. "He was doing a song for Hurricane Katrina, and he wanted me to be a part of it."

She was so nervous in anticipation of the call that she turned up her music to calm herself and didn't hear the phone ring. Jackson's assistant ended up leaving her a message. When she called back and connected with the singer, she was speechless. "I couldn't even respond properly," she admitted.

"I'm very, very proud of [the call] because I was looking forward to meeting him, and I didn't get a chance to, so that's something I can hold on to," she added, before breaking down in tears.

Wyclef Jean did get a chance to meet Jackson face-to-face at a music studio, but he was no less nervous than Ciara. "I knew he was coming to see me," Clef said at the post-show presser. "So, the whole day, I'm preparing a speech on how I'm gonna meet him. I'm practicing in the mirror. But then he showed up, and I lost my voice completely. 'Hi, Michael.' He's the only musician — I'm not intimidated by people — but he was definitely one you could say had the voice of God."

The rapper Jazze Pha, whose father is the bassist for old-school soul band the Bar-Kays, got a chance to meet Jackson years ago when the pop star was still performing live. "When I went backstage with Mike with my pops, it's like he had everything in the dressing room," he told MTV News. "He had bearskin rugs. He had these different couches. He had stuff on the walls, like Indian. It's crazy. He had the whole world in the backstage area."

Throughout the evening, artists spoke about the impact Jackson had on their careers. For Ciara, watching and listening to Jackson made her believe she, too, could be a singer.

"I didn't grow up in music, and I realized by the time I was 13 that I could do something in music, and for me, he really is the reason why," she said through tears.

For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered."

Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below.

• Michael Jackson's MTV Moments
• A Celebration Of Michael Jackson On MTV
• Michael Jackson Fans Pour Into The Streets
• The BET Awards Honor Michael Jackson

• Fans Mourn The Loss Of Music Icon Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

• Ciara
• Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean
Photo: Chris Polk/FilmMagic

Seems like everybody's piling on the anti-Auto-Tune bandwagon these days. Jay-Z just dropped the Blueprint 3 track "D.O.A." (which stands for "Death of Auto-Tune"), and DJs like Funkmaster Flex and Mister Cee picked up the message over the weekend.

And while Jay's proclamation wasn't embraced by everyone — ahem, DJ Webstar and Jim Jones — he can definitely count on another rapper/producer in his corner: Wyclef Jean.

On Monday, 'Clef took to his blog to premiere "Mr. Autotune," a dead-on parody of 'Tuned-up hip-pop that he recorded with Nick Cannon.

"I'm Mr. Autotune/ If you sing off-key/ For a small fee I can make you a celebrity," Wyclef sings on the hook.

"I wanna make money!" Cannon's Auto-Tuned response goes.

"Then all you gotta do is pay me/ And I will turn this thing into a karaoke party/ You'll be a superstar," Wyclef answers.

Elsewhere in the song, Wyclef sings (bleats): "Listen to me now/ I think you got it confused/ You gotta have skills before you turn on the Auto-Tune/ So whether you wanna be a rapper or a singer/ If you gotta use the Vocoder, be an innovator."

"Do I need singing lessons?" Cannon sorta-sings.

"Hell nah," 'Clef responds. "All you need is swagger/ We gon' run it through the computer."

And though the song is clearly a piss-take on the current state of mainstream hip-hop, Wyclef — like Jay on "D.O.A." — seems to go to great lengths to point out that not all Auto-Tune is terrible. There are certainly "innovators" (T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, et al) that have used the technology to do great things. What 'Clef is taking aim at is the talentless hit-seekers who want to use Auto-Tune as a crutch.

"This song is a parody of the current craze of artists using Auto-Tune," he writes in the blog. "But don't get it twisted: Auto-Tune might get you a hit single for the movement, but it can never substitute for raw talent! ... Here are the lyrics so everyone can sing along like we're in a karaoke party!"

• Wyclef Jean
• Nick Cannon

T.I. performs at the Mayor's Ball on Sunday
Photo: MTV News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — "She's a Bad Mama Jama," a string of Biggie records, "Arab Money" and "Pop Champagne"? This Mayor's Ball was no night of stuffed-shirt political posturing. Nah. D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty put together quite a party on Sunday night at the Washington Convention Center. And he handpicked the performers of the night, not because of their involvement in various community projects, but because he really likes their music.

Fall Out Boy, Wyclef Jean and T.I. all captivated the stage. Tip's set was short and bursting with enthusiasm. A clean version of "Bring 'Em Out" was the kick-off number. Tip didn't cuss at all during his program.

"Swing Your Rag" followed, and even if you didn't have Gucci or Louis on, it was OK. The crowd twirled whatever they had in the air. "Live Your Life" elicited the most ecstatic display of crowd participation, with everyone yelling "ayaaaaaaa-ayaaaaa-ayaaaaa" on the hook.

"Everybody who's ready to represent Barack Obama, make some noise!" the King of the South encouraged. "Everybody who's ready to welcome the 44th president into the United States, let me hear you scream."

T.I. was off to his next gig, a concert at club Love with Akon and Young Jeezy, but not before the finale of "Whatever You Like."

"If you represent for Michelle Obama, let me hear you scream," the Atlanta igniter said. "It's the King baby, be easy."

Fall Out Boy had the honor of being the night's last act. The foursome ramped up some of their hits such as "I Don't Care," but they were was most interesting when giving new takes on covers — a luxury playing live affords you.

Patrick Stump sang a rock version of Estelle's "American Boy," which he switched to "American Girl."

Then there was the "Patrick Mashup" introduced by bassist Pete Wentz, who was sporting a T-shirt that read "I Heart BX" for new son Bronx. Wentz said the frontman would be singing a song best described as Akon-meets-R.-Kelly, mixed with Sonny and Cher.

Stump sang the hook of Akon's "Don't Matter" over a slow guitar riff then brought in lyrics from R. Kelly's "Ignition" remix. He ended with bringing back the "I got you babe" from 'Kon's "Don't Matter" and finished with the hook from Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe."

Sandwiched between FOB and T.I.P. was the bill's elder statesman, Wyclef, who'd kicked off the inaugural celebrations the night before at the Green Inaugural Ball. At 36, 'Clef is definitely older than he was as part of the Fugees, but the dude just keeps increasing his stage prowess. He broke genre and language barriers Saturday, rapping in Spanish and French as well as English.

"If you like George Bush put your hands in the air right now," he told the audience after "Ready or Not," and the people booed in response. "On Tuesday, get your stuff and get the hell out of the White House. Tell me one thing George Bush ever did good except [pardon former Fugees producer] John Forte."

"Fu-Gee-La" came next and towards the end, the Haitian Grammy winner did a live remix, rapping over his band's variation of the beat to "A Milli."

"Y'all ain't getting crazy enough for the mayor," Wyclef warned. Soon after, he laid down his law with a freestyle. "I'mma be rich cause the next president's Obama ... / Get out, get out, I'm talking about Dick Cheney."

The attendees at the ball also saw Wyclef do his patented back-flip. He also jumped into the crowd during "Sweetest Girl" and brought a boy onstage while rapping "Hips Don't Lie." Before leaving the stage, 'Clef revealed a new version of "If I Was President."

"If I was president/ Obama, with the father from Kenya, with the spirit of America/ We voted for him," he rapped. "Obama's the president/ They said the deaf men would never hear, I tell them, 'Yes we can' ... / The mortgage crisis, we ain't scared / Health care, we ain't scared / If you ain't scared of no terrorists, put your hands in the air."

"Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" will air live on MTV on Tuesday, January 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. MTV News will have wall-to-wall coverage of the event and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya in the days leading up to the event and in the days that follow.

• Inauguration Celebrations Fill D.C. With Music

• 2009 Inauguration Week Events Celebrating Barack Obama
• Young Jeezy's "Presidential Status" Inaugural Ball

• T.I.
• Fall Out Boy
• Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean performs at the "Green Ball" in Washington D.C. on Saturday
Photo: Ken Cedeno/Pool/Newscom

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Inauguration weekend had a proper kickoff Saturday night, when Wyclef Jean performed at the Green Inaugural Ball.

"It's important for me to be here in D.C., to be part of this event, 'cause all you gotta do is Google 'Wyclef,' man," he told MTV News before the show at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. "I'm like an Obama groupie from the very beginning. Every Wyclef song, I remixed it with 'Obama': 'I'll be gone with Obama ... ' "

Wyclef said he's planning on lining up for the inauguration bright and early Tuesday morning. "I'mma be out there at the inauguration. I'm probably going to be there at 7:30 in the morning," he said. "I know it's gonna be dirt cold. ... On camera, it's going to look like I have one coat on, but I'mma have 17 sweaters under that, 'cause there's nobody takin' my seat!"

With a "Barack My World" bumper sticker plastered on his forehead, Clef played an hourlong set of hits, including his Shakira collabo, "Hips Don't Lie," a cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" and his own "Gone Till November."

The Green Ball's black-tie crowd had a hard time loosening up at first, but by the end, 'Clef convinced a handful to join him on stage, kick off their high heels and loosen their ties.

"If there is one good thing I could say about Bush, it's thank you for giving John Forte a pardon," he said during a rambling freestyle onstage, referring to the outgoing president's recent commutation of Fugees producer Forte's prison sentence on a cocaine-trafficking charge. "But Tuesday, pack your bags. ... It's time to leave. ... Barack Obama's in the White House, yeah!"

"Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" will air live on MTV on Tuesday, January 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. MTV News will have wall-to-wall coverage of the event and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya in the days leading up to the event and in the days that follow.

• Inauguration Celebrations Fill D.C. With Music

• 2009 Inauguration Week Events Celebrating Barack Obama

• Wyclef Jean

John Forte
Photo: Transparent

John Forté plans to make the most of his second chance. Following the announcement earlier this week that the former Fugees collaborator and solo hip-hop artist was one of 16 people to be pardoned or have their sentences commuted by outgoing President Bush, Forté is preparing to re-enter society after serving seven years of a 14-year sentence for possession of 31 pounds of liquid cocaine with intent to distribute.

One of Forté's lawyers, Aarti Tandon, told MTV News that contrary to earlier reports, her client had not been pardoned but had his sentence commuted, which means he does not have to serve the rest of it. Though Forté cannot currently be reached by phone or e-mail to discuss his feelings about the commutation, Tandon said he is elated and looking forward to getting back in the music game.

"I have spoken with him, and he is pleased and very grateful to President Bush for commuting his sentence," Tandon wrote. "Mr. Forté is humbled by his life experiences. He will use his early release to return to his family, re-enter the world of music, work with at-risk youth to deter them from drugs and crime, and continue his educational program at the London School of Economics."

Forté — who studied violin at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire as a youth — co-wrote and produced two songs on the Fugees' Grammy-winning 1996 smash, The Score. Two years later, he released his debut, Poly Sci, on which Fugees member Wyclef Jean has an executive-producer credit. He released his second album, I, John, while in prison in 2002.

Tandon said that Forté's commutation came as a result of more than five years of campaigning by his lawyer, Michael Nussbaum, herself and a number of others, including singer Carly Simon. Forté is a friend of Simon's son, singer/songwriter Ben Taylor.

Tandon said Forté understands the lengths those who support him have gone to secure his release, and "he intends to justify fully the confidence shown in him." While in prison, Forté has been organizing music groups and Save Our Youth events; working as a G.E.D. tutor; leading classes in philosophy, writing and re-entry into society; taking correspondence courses and writing music that he intends to record upon his release. He was also admitted to a correspondence program with the London School of Economics for a degree in politics and international relations.

Forté is slated to be released on December 22.

• The Fugees
• Wyclef Jean
• Carly Simon

John Forte
Photo: Transparent

Rapper and former Fugees producer John Forté was one of 14 people pardoned by President Bush on Monday, according to Reuters. He had been serving a sentence of 14 years in prison since 2001, after being found guilty of possession of 31 pounds of liquid cocaine with intent to distribute.

The presidential pardons, which were for offenses ranging from distribution of marijuana to unauthorized use of a pesticide, cannot be overruled and can help the recipients find jobs, live in public housing and vote. Bush has received more than 2,000 requests for pardons, which typically come fast and furious near the end of a president's term.

Forté — who studied violin at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire as a youth — co-wrote and produced two songs on the Fugees' Grammy-winning 1996 smash, The Score. Two years later, he released his debut, Poly Sci, on which Fugees member Wyclef Jean has an executive-producer credit.

Forté was arrested in 2000 at Newark International Airport after accepting a briefcase containing $1.4 million worth of cocaine. He released his confessional second album, 2002's I, John, while already serving his sentence at Pennsylvania's Lorreto Federal Penitentiary.

I, John featured an unexpected duet with '70s legend Carly Simon on "Been There, Done That," which came about through Forté's friendship with Simon's son, Ben Taylor. Simon and Taylor have long advocated on Forté's behalf, arguing that the MC did not receive a fair trial and that his sentence was unfair considering it was his first offense and he was a nonviolent offender.

According to TMZ, Simon has been lobbying a number of politicians, including Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, "religiously" on Forté's behalf. He will leave federal prison next month, TMZ said. A spokesperson for Forté had not returned requests for comment at press time.

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