Michael Jackson: You Rock My World

Michael Jackson was a talent that shook the world and shaped the face of music in every corner of the globe. Ex-Steel Pulse member and black music historian, Mykaell Riley, pays tribute to MJ, exploring his wide-reaching legacy and his influence on Black British music of today.

How does one begin to talk about an individual like Michael Jackson? If you grew up in the 70’s or the 80’s in the UK, or anywhere else on the planet that had electricity and radio, you knew his name. If you had access to a TV you were dazzled by his footwork, having already been seduced by his voice.

Back then, he exploded from that canon we call, American Black music to inspire, empower, and in some cases, locate an ambition in those that were struggling to find one. He was appealing, regardless of your sexuality, race or place of origin. If you were young, black and growing up in the in 70’s Britain, he offered hope and a new sense of confidence.

Few spoke of British Black music in 1972 as he received his Billboard Award for ‘Pop Artist of the Year’. The writing was on the wall for the Jackson 5. In little over a decade Michael was announced the King of Pop. Soul and R&B as descriptors of his music had given way to Disco and Dance, but soon all of these terms would be superseded by the term ‘Pop’. ‘It doesn’t matter if your black or white’, but where did all the references to black music go?

Growing up in Britain, the gatekeepers of Pop, the question ‘what is black music?’ used to be a big deal – especially if you were ‘Black’, more so if you were a musician. In the 80’s to witness another Black individual receiving accolades such as, ‘Best Black Music Album of the Year’, ‘Best Black Single of Year’, and ‘Best Black Male Artist of Year’, from the likes of; Rolling Stone, Billboard, Cashbox and numerous other international institutions – suggested to many Black British musicians, that it might just be possible to have a music career in the UK.

But this was the early 80’s when Britain was the European capital for black music; and reggae dominated while the UK’s assimilation of black culture produced acts such as: The Police, UB40, Paul Young, The Beat, Madness and the Specials. Many view this period as a major turning point in the history of British pop, and a missed opportunity to recognise the contribution of the indigenous black music scene. It was also the moment Michael Jackson was being crowned ‘King of Pop’.

Like a ‘Smooth Criminal’, pop remained king whilst stamping its authority and control over any commercially variable genres. The British music industry was equally successful in eventually branding all the above British acts as pop, regardless of the extent to which their music was born out of the British Black music experience. The accumulative effect is the general absence of the UK’s Black music contribution to the story of pop.

In an industry that is built on the exploitation of creative talent, via its well-oiled sophisticated promotional arm, it should be no surprise that, the control and ownership of marketing terms such as ‘pop’ and ‘urban’ remain paramount.

It should be a crime to allow this cultural contribution to remain hidden from black British youth, given that many are already disconnected from their heritage and contributions that have given them a stake in the past, the present and potentially the future of British music. Here’s a reminder of just a few the acts that managed to punch through the armour of British pop; Eddy Grant, Labbi Siffri, Billy Ocean, Omar, Steel Pulse, Sade, Soul 2 Soul, Apache Indian, Craig David, Estelle, Dizzie, Beverly Knight, and most recently Speech Debel.

In the UK, the musicians who dare to describe their music as black, continue to find resistance from those, one would expect the most support. Over the last two decades the British Black music scene has given birth to more new genres than any other indigenous music scene. British black music represents multiculturalism, it’s where the ‘Ebony and Ivory’ effect is most evident in our eclectic musical output.

This prolific creativity has given the world ‘Jungle’, ‘Drum & Bass’, ‘Trip Hop’, ‘Two Step’, ‘UK Garage’, ‘Grime’, ‘Dub Step’, not to mention what has gone down before, and there’s more to come. But call it what it is, ‘BRITISH BLACK MUSIC’. A most recent example being Jay Sean’s top ten success in the US Urban music charts.

Having worked within the British music industry for over twenty five years, I’m no stranger to its capacity to market and establish new concepts in pursuit of increased profits, with no regard to the residual impact on the audience, or the musicians. In an effort to better understand the historical relationship between British record companies and the accumulative experience of black music in Britain, The National Centre for Black Music Research at the University of Westminster, has been established. We are affiliated to the Centre for Black Music Research in America and continue to produce researched based content for education and the music industry.

Mykaell Riley’s music career started out in the 70’s with Grammy award-winning reggae band Steel Pulse, he then went on to develop Britain’s first black orchestra, The Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra in the 80’s. In the 90’s as a professional writer/producer, his work encompassed TV, Film and Theatre, but mainly albums, over twenty of them - resulting in over eleven top twenty positions, and three number ones. Mykaell has worked with a wide range of artists including Soul II Soul , Jamaroqui, Peter Andre, Bjork, East 17, Gabriel, Dina Carroll, Wet Wet Wet, Mark Morrison, The Chimes, China Black, Sly & Robbie, Shara Nelson, Baba Maal and Maxi Priest to name but a few.

As Senior lecturer at University of Westminster, he has assisted in the development of the BA Commercial Music Course, over the last 15 years. More recently in association with the University of Westminster, he has been instrumental in establishing The National Center for Black Music Research (UK). He is also an educational consultant and advisor for the music industry, arts organisations, Open University, City University, South Themes College, and is external examiner for Leeds College of music and a Fellow of Arts & Business & Royal Society for the Arts.

Contact: Mykaell Riley Head of Music Production, Director – Centre for Black Music Research UK, University of Westminster,, Harrow Campus, Northwick Park HA1 3TP, [email protected], www.cbmr.eu

Back: Features