The estate of the late Michael Jackson has publicly condemned rapper Sexyy Red’s recent flip of his iconic 1982 hit “Beat It,” saying it had no knowledge of the version and that its use of the music was unauthorized. In a statement to Billboard, a spokesperson for the estate said they were “totally unaware of this” and emphasized that the use of the original track in Sexyy Red’s rendition was not cleared or sanctioned by Jackson’s camp.

The controversy ignited this week after footage posted by fellow artist Lil Yachty showed Sexyy Red in the studio performing a raunchy take on “Beat It,” retitled “Just Eat It.” That video quickly went viral across social platforms, with some users joking it might appear in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic soundtrack and others criticizing the explicit reinterpretation.

Sexyy Red later shared her own clip of the session on her Instagram, captioning it with a tongue-in-cheek reference to a fictional Michael Jackson movie. The explicit nature of the lyrics and the way the classic was repurposed sparked strong reactions from fans and commentators online.

In response to the estate’s comments, which clarified there is no clearance for the use of “Beat It,” some reports indicate the estate is seeking removal of related videos from social media, and may pursue legal action to enforce its rights. There has been no official comment from Sexyy Red’s representatives regarding the estate’s statement.

The situation highlights ongoing tensions in music culture around artists sampling or flipping classic songs without formal authorization, especially when linked to figures as iconic as Jackson.