How Big Michael Michael Broke Hip-Hop’s Generational Curse

I decided to hit the Norfolk State vs. Delaware State football game a week or so ago. It was a last-minute decision, made the night before. I had a ball the previous year, the inaugural event. That one was riotous without the riot.

Anyway, I strolled up solo, per usual, and instantly felt at home. I mean, once upon a time, I went to Delaware State and Norfolk State is all too familiar.

Mind you, I am pulling up to the noisy college section. The DJ was playing one of the songs of the year, “Big Michael Michael” by Looze Cannon. And they were ROCKING.

Suddenly, I spotted some of the homies, and they were enjoying themselves, too…in a most age appropriate way. All of this was happening to a song by a dude impersonating Michael Jackson. Now, Michael Jackson impersonators are nothing new. They are all over the place. But this was different.

Looze Cannon, real name Glen Cannon, is an MC who somehow stumbled into this MJ persona through social media. The brother can freestyle, snap on people and create songs on the spot. That’s actually how “Big Michael Michael” came about. He was freestyling on somebody during a livestream, and the moment took on a life of its own.He spotted a play and moved quickly to turn the freestyle into an actual song.

And so it was.

He’s been called a lot of things, from TikTok MJ to Temu Michael Jackson. Other impersonators have even called him a fraud, a disgrace to MJ’s legacy. But somehow, Looze Cannon found a winning formula built on three things: rap skills, comedy skills and an uncanny ability to capture an alternate spirit of the King of Pop.

And let’s be clear. He’s using a filter. He’s not trying to convince anybody he’s actually Michael Jackson. That’s part of the joke. Also, it should be noted that Cannon says AI does nothing to alter or enhance his performance or voice. The visual technology enhances the actual talent. 

His use of social media and business savvy, has him looking like the man of the year.  He initially sold “Big Michael Micheal” directly to fans for $1.99 instead of immediately relying on streaming and it appears that has taken him to the top of the Apple Music charts. At this moment, he’s arguably more culturally impactful than your average rapper with a traditional rollout, a budget and a label behind him. 

Now, let’s consider the genetic makeup of a hit song.

One of the intangibles is the ability to resonate with multiple demographics. And this song seems to be hitting all the markers. We’re talking everybody from 8 to 80. Blind, crippled and crazy, as the old saying goes.

Seriously.

Kids love Big Michael Michael. They think he’s hilarious. College students love him. At the DSU/NSU tailgate, they were all doing selfies and videos to the song simultaneously. The OGs I eventually connected with were discussing how crazy it was that this thing was hitting so hard.

Think about that for a minute.

Hip-Hop has spent years dealing with a generational divide. The old heads don’t understand the young people. The young people don’t care what the old heads think. We argue over lyrics, beats, authenticity, artistry, streaming numbers, who deserves respect and whether the culture has lost its way.

And then here comes a rapper pretending to be Michael Jackson. Kind of, but not really.

Everybody is laughing. Everybody is dancing. Everybody gets it.

And there you have it.

Pressure.

The algorithm has already gotten hold of this virtual King of Pop. In some ways, half his work is done simply by showing up. People recognize Michael Jackson before Looze even opens his mouth. But the recognition alone isn’t what makes this work. Looze has to deliver the goods once he gets their attention.

And he does.

I saw a white dude clipping a piece of the song, and I knew this thing was out of here. It had escaped the usual boundaries. The college kids were on it. The OGs were on it. People who might never agree on a Hip-Hop record were enjoying the same song.

That doesn’t happen every day.

Now, the question is: What next?

Will there be a proper music video? Will he do a remix with Janet or Jermaine? Imagine that. Will he maintain his independence, or will he attempt to scale this into something bigger? Record labels have reportedly been calling, but that doesn’t automatically mean he should sign anything.

And lastly, will he be able to maintain this momentum when he’s just Looze Cannon?

That’s the one I’m really interested in.

He’s got fans, and people genuinely want him to win. But can they follow him beyond the filter? Can he take the audience that came for Michael Jackson and get them invested in Looze Cannon, the artist?

Because eventually, the character and the creator may have to coexist.

In a recent rant aimed at Fabio Jackson, another MJ impersonator and one of his detractors, Looze discussed something that I found particularly interesting. He said his new fans were thanking him. Some found joy in Big Michael Michael. Others said the character helped ease their depression. “I’ve had people tell me that I’m helping them and I’m saving them from what they are going through,” he said on a live out of character. “I’m helping people with their depression, their mental illness.” Still others said the comedy had brought them closer to their children.

That’s bigger than a viral moment.

And that brings me back to Michael Jackson himself.

Despite decades of controversy, accusations and continued attempts by some to tear down his legacy, Michael Jackson remains a force. The movie Michael surpassed $1 billion at the worldwide box office this year. The disconnect between the critics and fans has never been wider, in my view. And now, a funny, talented, Hip-Hop-adjacent impersonator has taken the internet by storm in the most unexpected manner.

Michael Jackson was already a bridge between generations. His music belonged to our parents, to us and, somehow, to our children. Looze Cannon has taken that familiarity and mixed it with modern Hip-Hop, livestream culture, battle-rap instincts and comedy. The result is something that doesn’t require an age bracket.

And that’s why it works.

The old heads recognize Michae and the off-the-dome freestyles as talent. The young people recognize the humor, the memes and the streaming culture. And everybody gets to participate without somebody telling them they’re too old, too young or out of touch. For once, we’re not fighting about what Hip-Hop is supposed to be.

We’re just having fun naturally the way Hip-Hop was intended to be.

So, how does this work going forward?

Only time will tell. For now, this is his year. His literal time.

Somehow, I think his upcoming career could be a Thriller, and people won’t be telling him to “Beat It.”

Or maybe they will. This is the internet, after all. 

But the future doesn’t matter so much right now. Not every cultural moment has to become something else. It can be this. Sometimes, something comes along that everybody can enjoy at the same time.

We’re enjoying ourselves now. That is special and worth celebrating. 

And that’s all there is.

Now.