The ladies from SWV aren't backing down from playing their famous Michael Jackson sample in an upcoming "Verzuz" matchup ... telling us they wouldn't be there without him.
Tamara "Taj" Johnson and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked if SWV is going to play their hit, "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)," when the R&B group battles Xscape Saturday on "Verzuz."
Some folks have issues with MJ's legacy and using his sample might cause some controversy ... after all, it's happened recently on "Verzuz," when The Isley Brothers sampled R. Kelly.
But, SWV says they will NOT cancel the MJ sample ... telling us why the King of Pop's done wonders for their career.
It's pretty interesting ... Taj and Lelee say Michael didn't even make them pay to sample his 1983 hit, "Human Nature," and they tell us how the freebie fell in their lap.
The way they see it ... Michael's paid the price for his transgressions, and it's not their job to judge him by canceling his music.
Check out the full interview with SWV Thursday on "TMZ Live" ... because they also gave us some tea about touring, and bouncing, with Beyonce when Destiny's Child was just coming up.