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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Michael Jackson
1982 (Thriller)
Thriller’s opening statement
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” (1982) set the stage for Thriller. Its urgent rhythms, chant-like hooks, and Afrobeat-inspired breaks signaled that something massive was coming — the first spark of the best-selling album of all time.
Dancefloor fire, global reach
The track fused funk, disco, and African polyrhythms into a relentless beat. Beyond pop charts, it became a template for crossover dance tracks, echoing across decades of R&B and electronic music.
Vibin' - The New Flava
Boyz II Men
1995
Boyz II Men meet Busta Rhymes
On “Vibin’” (1995), Boyz II Men and Busta Rhymes wove in MJ’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” nodding to its layered rhythms while bringing it into the new jack swing and hip-hop generation.
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Michael Jackson
1982 (Thriller)
MJ’s unforgettable chant
But buried inside “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” is MJ’s Afrobeat-inspired chant: “Mama-say mama-sa mama-coosa.” Inspired by Manu Dibango’s “Soul Makossa” (1972), Jackson reworked it into a hypnotic call-and-response that became the track’s signature moment.
Don’t Stop the Music
Rihanna
2007
From Makossa to Rihanna
“Don’t Stop the Music” (2007) flips MJ’s chant into a modern club anthem. Rihanna’s version proves the track’s DNA was built for dancefloors across eras, extending Jackson’s influence into 21st-century global pop.
