JAY Z DIDN'T WANT REMAKE OF WE ARE THE WORLD!

If Jay-Z had his way, there would be no current remake of "We Are The World," which has been repurposed to raise relief funds for Haiti.

"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. But I think 'We Are the World' is like (Michael Jackson's) 'Thriller.' I don't ever wanna see it touched," Jay-Z told MTVNews.com Saturday night at the "2 Kings" dinner in Dallas, an annual event held during NBA All-Star weekend.

The do-over of the 25-year-old song - which features stars from Barbra Streisand to Miley Cyrus to Lil' Wayne - made its debut Friday night during the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. The single's official title is "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti."

The 1985 original was produced by Quincy Jones, who was also involved in the remake, and written by Jackson and Lionel Richie, who performed along with a veritable who's who of recording greats, from Tina Turner to Bob Dylan. It benefited African famine relief.
Jay isn't the only one to give the rehash the thumbs down.

The Washington Post found the song "horribly over sung... save for the 21st-century rap verses added toward the end of the track." The New York Times opined: "Lil Wayne, you're no Bob Dylan. . . . as a piece of work, (The song) has all the pitfalls of a Hollywood remake."

Added Jay, "I think it's time for us to make a new (song). I tried to do that with 'Stranded' " - the song he, Rihanna and U2's Bono and the Edge premiered at the 'Hope for Haiti Now' telethon. "I didn't try to make 'We Are the World,' but I tried to make our take on how we felt."