Akon was one of the last people to work closely with Michael Jackson before his death nearly two weeks ago. The pair collaborated on a remix of MJ’s ’80s hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” for last year’s Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition.

“I expected him to be a diva, not as talkative, you know what I mean, distant, send messages through other people,” Akon said of the late Jackson during an interview Monday on NBC’s The TODAY Show with co-host Meredith Vieira. “But he was just so direct, so humble, it was incredible.”

The singer revealed that he and Michael also worked on another song, yet to be released, called “Hold My Hand,” which includes the lyrics, “This life don’t last forever / its what you waited for.”

“It didn’t really hit me until right now… life don’t last forever,” Akon explained in tears. “So once you’re here, you’ve got to make the best of it and leave something behind that people can really cherish.”

The Grammy-nominated vocalist spoke of his memories with the music legend — his mentor — in a chat with The TODAY Show’s Meredith Vieira on Monday.