( CNN ) -- Few have had a bigger influence on today 's musical artists than Michael Jackson . Michael Jackson performs with Usher in September 2001 at Madison Square Gardens in New York City . Younger singers , from Justin Timberlake to Usher and Chris Brown , have emulated his dance moves , his look and his sound . He was , for many , the ultimate performer . `` [ His influence ] feels like something that is instilled and embedded in anyone who wanted to create anything musically , '' said Marsha Ambrosius , one half of the duo Floetry that wrote the single `` Butterflies . '' That single appeared on Jackson 's 2001 `` Invincible '' album . `` He will always be the King of Pop , and no one will ever be able to fill those shoes with those shiny socks and that glove , '' Ambrosius said . For many of the younger generation , he was the first to not just cross over but explode onto the pop charts from the R & B scene . His phenomenal talent and worldwide appeal made his throne one to be aspired to even as they stood in awe of him . `` If you 're a singer and you do n't want to be like Michael Jackson , something is wrong , '' said 19-year-old singer and rapper Sean Kingston , who scored a hit in 2007 with the song `` Beautiful Girls . '' `` He 's a huge influence . '' Sonia Murray , a longtime Atlanta-based music columnist , said Jackson was for the younger set what James Brown had been for Jackson : an inspiration . `` It was the many dimensions he had as a performer , '' Murray said . `` A lot of those artists strive to be all around entertainers . Michael looks to James Brown and Sammy Davis Jr. and for the younger guys , he was the closest thing they had . '' His music videos were must-see TV , and aspiring artists learned that it took more than just holding a microphone if they really wanted to make it big . `` He was the total package , '' said Gail Mitchell , senior editor for R & B and Hip-hop for Billboard . `` I was talking to somebody the other day about what trends they were seeing , and they said that a lot of the acts these days seem to going back to the whole entertainer thing . '' `` It 's not just good enough anymore to lip-synch or program your computer , but some of these newer artists are more concerned about putting on a great show for their fans . '' Steve Greenberg , founder and CEO of S-Curve Records , was a disc jokey in Tel Aviv , Israel , when `` Thriller '' first dropped and witnessed first-hand how Jackson became an international icon . Greenberg said Jackson `` influenced everyone who has come after him . '' `` He 's been around so long that everyone on the contemporary scene has come after him , '' Greenberg said . `` His was the first very contemporary , very exciting dance music to emerge after the death of disco . '' His was a global appeal , Greenberg said , among fans and artists worldwide . `` He was as big in the Middle East and Southeast Asia as he was in America and Europe , '' Greenberg said . `` He had that universality that not many people had . The Beatles had it , Muhammad Ali had it , but not many other people have had it . '' His music also crossed genres . He was a favorite of rappers to sample and working with him was a badge of honor in the industry . Producer Dallas Austin worked with him on Michael Jackson 's `` HIStory : Past , Present and Future '' and , like the rest of the world , was stunned by his death . `` Michael Jackson was a magical person to work with , '' Austin said in a released statement . `` I am saddened by his death . The world wo n't be the same without him . '' Even for the most hardcore in hip-hop , there was no shame in admitting love for the King of Pop . `` Michael Jackson has always been an inspiration to me as far as his music is concerned , '' Rapper Snoop Dogg told MTV in 2001 . `` You ca n't take nothing from him . '' Wyclef Jean released a statement saying `` Michael Jackson was my Musical God . '' `` He made me believe that all things are possible , and through real and positive music , he can live forever , '' Jean said . `` I love Michael Jackson . God Bless him . '' Floetry member Marsha Ambrosius said she felt blessed to have spent two weeks working with Jackson in New York City a few years ago after he fell in love with a song she had written . She had the opportunity to get to know him , not just as a superstar , but as a fun-loving family man who stayed in touch with her even after the project was finished . `` He was one of the most amazing people you would ever want to meet , '' she said . `` I can say I worked with the most incredible artist on planet Earth . '' CNN 's Shanon Cook contributed to this report .
Michael Jackson 's dance moves , his look were emulated . Comment: Recording CEO : Jackson `` influenced everyone who has come after him ''