In an extraordinary discovery, twelve previously unreleased Michael Jackson tracks have emerged from a storage unit in California's San Fernando Valley. The rare recordings, dating from 1989-1991, were uncovered by Gregg Musgrove, a former California Highway Patrol officer who now hunts for valuable items in abandoned storage units.
The tapes were found in a unit that once belonged to music producer Bryan Loren and contain material Jackson worked on before his "Dangerous" album. Among the discovered tracks is "Don't Believe It," which appears to address media rumors about the pop star, and "Seven Digits," a song referencing morgue identification numbers.
One particularly notable recording features what appears to be a rap duet between Jackson and LL Cool J titled "Truth on Youth" - a rare instance of Jackson performing in the rap genre. The tapes also capture behind-the-scenes moments, including conversations between Jackson and presumably Loren discussing the creative process.
"I'm listening to this stuff, and I would get goosebumps because nobody's ever heard this stuff before," Musgrove told The Hollywood Reporter. "To hear Michael Jackson actually talk and kind of joke back and forth, it was really, really cool."
While the discovery has generated excitement among Jackson fans, public release of these recordings remains unlikely. The Jackson Estate, while declining to purchase the tapes, maintains copyright ownership of both the recordings and compositions. This effectively prevents any commercial release or public distribution of the material.
Musgrove plans to offer the collection through major auction houses, with estimates suggesting the tapes could be worth seven figures. The sale could present a unique opportunity for private collectors and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts to own a piece of previously unknown Jackson history.