ENTERTAINMENT NEWS: "We are the World Remake Good or Bad idea?"

In an effort to help the relief aid to Haiti following the devastating earthquake, an ensemble of 81 singers came together to record a remake of the 1985 Michael Jackson classic, “We are the World”. The large ensemble included celebrities such as: Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson, Jamie Foxx, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and many others.

However, one A-list celebrity who was not a part of this collaboration was hip-hop legend Jay-Z. In a recent interview with MTV news he spoke out about why he chose not to participate in the recording. “I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: ‘We Are the World,’ I love it, and I understand the point and think it’s great,” Jay told MTV News in Dallas this weekend. “But I think ‘We Are the World’ is like ‘Thriller’ to me. I don’t ever wanna see it touched.” He went on: “I know the plight and everything that’s going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts…but ‘We are the World’ is untouchable like ‘Thriller’ is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it’s gonna be untouchable.”

In his opinion, it would have been better to write a completely new song for the relief efforts. Something similar to the one he performed with Rihanna, Bono, and the Edge at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon.

Do you agree with Jay-Z? Is “We are the World” one of those timeless classics that is simply ‘untouchable’?