Michael Jackson’s dedication and love for his work and craft, according to R&B musician Akon, was the reason he began taking pills in the first place, leading to his death by overdose in 2009.

According to Akon, the King of Pop’s drive was a “gift and curse,” as he wanted to give his all as he prepared for This Is It, his concert residency in 2009.

Akon’s exclusive interview with the publication was the first time he discussed Jackson near the end of his life.

He said:

“He was so happy and excited that he was about to go to London and lock these 50 dates in and remind the world who he was and what his value was to pop music.”

Jackson’s desire to return to the stage was the driving force behind his pill consumption, according to the “Smack That” singer. He said that the “Thriller” singer was so excited that he couldn’t sleep:

“He would be up for weeks at a time thinking about how he wanted everybody to have the most amazing experience, he wanted to create something that was going to be talked about for centuries.”

Akon also spoke about Jackson’s unwavering value ethic and perseverance:

“He always pushed himself to the limit. He never compromised the best.”

Jackson’s physical body couldn’t keep up with his mind’s strength. He was working overtime despite being 50 at the time. Akon mentioned that Jackson was working out “25 hours a day.”

Even though Jackson died over 13 years ago, the mystery surrounding his tragic and unexpected death remains a source of much speculation.

“TMZ Investigates: Who Really Killed Michael Jackson?” aired on Fox TV, and it looked into who was behind Jackson’s painkiller prescriptions before his death.

Jackson died in June 2009 in Los Angeles, California, from a cardiac arrest caused by a Propofol and Benzodiazepine overdose. Conrad Murray, the singer’s physician, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 after prescribing the Propofol dose that killed him.

According to Orlando Martinez, the detective interviewed for the documentary, determining who was responsible was difficult because it was “more complicated” than Murray’s prescription.

Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s wife from 1996 to 1999, expressed regret for the singer’s death, claiming that she “participated in it.”

Rowe stated in the documentary:

“I was basically as bad as [Klein]. I regret that. I will regret it. And I am so sorry that I participated in it.”

This confession caught Jackson’s family off guard.

A source shared to The New York Post:

“Debbie’s decision to speak to this show about what she knew about Dr. Klein has dumbfounded some of the older Jackson family members.

Debbie has not been this open with some of the brothers for sure, so for her to speak on a TV show is bewildering.”

Arnold Klein, a Hollywood dermatologist who prescribed Jackson Demerol, an opioid analgesic similar to morphine, is the Doctor Klein they are referring to.

Rowe reportedly worked as Klein’s assistant, which is also how she met Jackson, who was receiving treatment for vitiligo.