The rivalry between Prince and Michael Jackson was real—but it wasn’t as simple as the headlines made it. According to producer Jimmy Jam, who worked with both icons, the competition was rooted in a baseline of respect that never fully disappeared.

Speaking to People at the Hollywood premiere of Michael , Jam cut through the mythology. “They probably were both competitive, but they also were very respectful of each other,” he said. That tension—ego and admiration at the same time—defined how the two operated at the top of the music industry.

Jam pointed to their drastically different creative styles as a key factor. “Prince would start a record at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day, the record would be totally done, mixed, ready to go,” he said, describing a fast, instinct-driven process.

Jackson, meanwhile, moved the opposite way.…