UPDATED 2/12 3:05 p.m. ET: The estate of Michael Jackson is responding to Sexyy Red’s viral remake of “Beat It.”
In a statement shared with The Breakfast Club’s Loren LoRosa, a spokesperson for the late singer shared, “We were totally unaware of this. The use of the music is unauthorized.”
LoRosa added that the King of Pop’s estate “definitely didn’t seem happy” about the provocative cover.
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Sexyy Red has never been one to tone things down, and her latest flip of a Michael Jackson classic proves exactly that.
The St. Louis rapper recently shared a video on social media previewing a raunchy rework of Jackson's iconic hit "Beat It." Over the instantly recognizable instrumental, Red delivers a bold and unapologetically explicit twist, turning the original's rebellious energy into a bedroom-focused anthem that's already sparking reactions online.
In the clip, Red raps along to the beat with NSFW bars that leave little to the imagination. Reworking the chorus into her own chant of "Just eat it," she leans fully into her signature unfiltered style.
"Coochie not funky, and it's super tight / I'm tryna get my coochie ate up tonight / Just eat it, just eat it," she raps in one portion of the snippet, staying consistent with the provocative tone that's defined much of her catalog.
The move doesn't come as a total surprise. Red has long embraced comparisons to the King of Pop in her own tongue-in-cheek way. During her recent "Sexyy Red & Friends" concert in St. Louis, she even brought out a Michael Jackson impersonator who performed "Billie Jean" while she playfully hyped him up onstage. Fans egged the tribute performer on to moonwalk across the stage, though he stopped short of delivering the full MJ theatrics.
In past interviews, Red has spoken about the influence she believes she shares with Jackson, noting the cultural impact and attention both artists command in their respective eras.
Social media reactions to the "Beat It" flip have ranged from shock to amusement, with many marveling at the audacity of remixing one of pop music's most untouchable records in such explicit fashion. Either way, the preview has people talking, which, as Red has proven time and again, is half the point.
Check out some reactions to Red's "Beat It" flip below.