WILL.I.AM is attempting to silence Michael Jackson's critics by praising the the pop superstar's singing, insisting his voice is still "perfect".
The Thriller hitmaker is set to perform a mammoth run of 50 dates in London, beginning this summer (09) - his first live shows since 2001.
The singer has been dogged by speculation about his ability to perform, following a string of rumours concerning his health, but Will.i.am, who recently recorded new material with Jackson, insists the pop legend can still belt out tunes - and his secret is a three-hour vocal warm-up.
He tells Starpulse, "He's just 'mi mi mi mi mi mi'. He's doing both voice testing just to sing for five minutes. He's testing his voice for three hours to sing for five minutes. (Bandmate) Fergie don't do that s**t. Usher don't do that s**t. None of the people that you think still got it do that. I've seen it, in my house.
"That's because he's a perfectionist and he just likes testing his voice. I've seen it... Perfect pitch."