Usher: “This loss has deeply saddened me, with a heavy heart I composed this statement. May God cover you Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family particularly Michael’s mother and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer, and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for Him and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer In so many ways he transcended culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled Michael Jackson will never be forgotten.”

Diddy: “Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life!! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!”

Ludacris: “If it were not for Michael Jackson I would not be where or who I am today. His Music and Legacy will live on Forever. Prayers to the fam. R.I.P.”

Solange: “Thank you Michael Jackson for being my FIRST of many! My mother took me to my FIRST concert. I was only two years old. I fell in love.”

Keri Hilson: “Just like many other artists, I have always been inspired by Michael Jackson. He’s the only idol I’ve ever had and I’m saddened that I never got to tell him how much he and his music mean to me. I’ve met many stars in my life but I would have been completely satisfied just to have laid eyes on MJ himself. The closest I’ve come was hearing he and his band rehearsing right next door to me here in L.A. last month, while he was rehearsing for his tour abroad. I will be overseas at the same time the tour was scheduled so yet again I looked forward to being in the same place.”

Brandy: “It hasn’t hit me YET!!! I know when it does I will be a f**kin WRECK!!!!! I loved and still LOVE Michael Jackson!!!”

Juelz Santana: “This is … damn! Wow! Unexpected. A shock. A low blow. All that right there. I’m getting myself together, walking in the living room [when] they said Mike died. It was breaking news at 5. I put it up on Twitter and people were saying his death was still pending. I couldn’t believe it. … I just woke up and they said, ‘Mike is dead.’ The first thought in your mind is, ‘That’s Michael Jackson. He can’t be dead.’ That just shows you everybody is human, nobody is immune to nothing — especially death.”