Jaafar Jackson is related to controversial pop legend Michael Jackson; he is the son of Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson. Thus, Jaafar was ideally cast to play his uncle in the new smash biopic, Michael.
The movie, despite a wide gap between the critics’ and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes (audience loved it, critics not so much), rocketed to the top of the box office. According to Rolling Stone, the movie has become “a cultural event,” pulling in almost $40 million on April 24 alone, with its opening weekend haul projected at $95 to $100 million.
That means a lot of fans are seeing the movie, and many of them have the same question: Was Jafaar Jackson really singing in the Michael movie?
Yes, Jaafar Jackson Did Really Sing in the Movie on His Uncle, Michael Jackson, But There’s a Catch
The answer is that, yes, Jaafar Jackson really did sing in the movie. But he wasn’t the only one. Michael’s own voice is also featured in the biopic.
“When I was doing all the performances, I was actually singing out live in the microphone on top of Michael’s track. So, it’s a blend of my vocal and Michael’s,” Jaafar said on Today With Jenna & Sheinelle.
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
However, he added that his voice can be heard alone in some scenes, saying, “It’s actually me singing, the a cappellas, which was really fun to do.”
Jaafar Jackson ‘Practiced for Hours on End’ to Get Michael Jackson’s Voice Down
According to People, Jaafar “practiced for hours on end to sing as Michael.”
People noted that Michael’s nephew “had previous singing experience before the film and had covered several songs before making his own music.” But he still needed training to perfect Michael’s unique voice.
“When I was doing all the performances, I was actually singing out live in the microphone on top of Michael’s track. So it’s a blend of my vocal and Michael’s,” Jaafar said during an April interview on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.
In a movie promo, Jaafar revealed how intensely he took the role, saying that he practiced “until my feet would bleed or would go numb.”
Jaafar’s Dad, Jermaine Jackson, Is Among Michael Jackson’s 9 Siblings
Joe and Katherine Jackson had a large family. According to People, they had 10 children, so Michael and Jermaine have eight other siblings.
Jermaine is a singer too; he was part of the iconic Jackson 5 group that gave Michael his start as a child.
The Michael Jackson biopic is controversial because of the child sex abuse accusations that were lodged against Michael Jackson. “Michael paid $15 million in a settlement for 1993 allegations and was found not guilty of 14 sexual abuse-related charges in 2005,” People reported.
Jermaine has supported his son throughout the biopic process. According to Ebony, Jermaine Jackson and his partner, Maday Velazquez, attended the movie’s premiere. Jermaine Jackson has seven kids, according to Ebony.
Jaafar “is the son of Jermaine’s second wife, Alejandra Oaziaza, and has been celebrated for his natural entertainment instincts,” Ebony noted.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Apr 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
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