Mark Ronson recalls being ‘warned’ to play Michael Jackson in front of Prince

Mark Ronson recently shared a close call he experienced while deejaying for Prince.

In his memoir Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City, the Grammy-winning producer reflected on an remarkable evening at New York’s exclusive Spy Bar.

Ronson, who was spinning records for Prince, recalled the atmosphere which was already intimidating started to become scarier when the DJ considered playing Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” album.

Before the first beat could drop, his friend Q-Tip interfered with a quick warning saying, “Not here. You can’t play Michael around Prince.”

The caution was rooted in the long-standing rivalry between Prince and Jackson, which reportedly began in 1983 during a James Brown concert in Los Angeles.

Mark Ronson highlights beef between Michael Jackson and Prince:

The 50-year-old musician wrote in his memoir that during the 1982 gig, Jackson dazzled the crowd with his signature moves, while Prince followed with a flamboyant guitar solo that ended in a dramatic fall from the stage.

Many believe the clash of egos that evening defined their complicated relationship.

For the unversed, their legendary feud was no small matter – so much so that Prince famously refused to participate in the 1985 charity single We Are the World, a project that united nearly every major artist of the time.

Therefore, to avoid any kind of mishap, Ronson swapped the record for War’s Galaxy, though even that earned him a sharp look from Prince due to its uneven tempo.

Reflecting on the moment, Ronson joked about receiving “rhythmic judgment from a musical deity.”