Jay Bee

Musical 'loves' from Hip Hop, Street Soul, Independent R&B to Roots Reggae and Revive Studio First and much more

[MOBO Awards @MOBOAwards]

It is with immeasurable sorrow that the MOBO Organisation announces the passing of its Founder and CEO, Kanya King CBE.

Kanya passed away peacefully on 3 June 2026 after a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer. She was surrounded by her family, close friends and love.

Thirty years ago, Kanya King remortgaged her home, alone, without institutional backing or industry support, to build a stage that would transform British music forever.

She was a single mother from a Kilburn council estate who was told that Black music was too niche, that there was no market and that the industry was not interested. Instead of arguing, she built. Six weeks later, the first MOBO Awards was broadcast to the nation, and nothing was ever the same again.

What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice. MOBO did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it and transformed the cultural landscape of the UK.

From Stormzy, Little Simz and RAYE to Craig David, Ms. Dynamite, Amy Winehouse, Central Cee and countless others, generations of artists have benefited from Kanya King's vision.

She built a platform that reached hundreds of millions of people around the world. She was awarded a CBE and received an Ivors Academy Honour in 2025. She never stopped. She never asked for permission. She never accepted that the word “no” was final.

When she stood on the MOBO stage in Newcastle in February 2025, just months after her diagnosis, she told the audience: “I never allowed someone to define my limits. Not in life. Not in business. And I’m certainly not going to have that happen now.”

That was Kanya King. Right to the very end.

The 2026 MOBO Awards, held during the Organisation’s landmark 30th anniversary year, will be dedicated entirely to her memory.

The world was a profoundly better place with Kanya King in it. The MOBO family is heartbroken, but endlessly grateful, proud and inspired by everything she gave to music, culture and future generations.

Rest in power, Kanya.

You built this.

All of it.

[Jay Bee @JayBee575]

RIP Peabo Bryson, Dexter Wansel and Foster Sylvers #soullegends #pioneers

[Liverpool FC @LFC]

Liverpool FC can confirm Arne Slot is to depart his role as head coach with immediate effect and that the process to appoint a successor is under way.

He leaves with a Premier League title to his name and our deepest gratitude and appreciation.

[Liverpool FC @LFC]

A connection that will last forever ❤A connection that will last forever ❤A connection that will last forever ❤A connection that will last forever ❤A connection that will last forever ❤A connection that will last forever ❤️

[Liverpool FC @LFC]

Conquered it all.

[Boston Radio Watch®️ @bostonradio]

RIP, Rob Base.

‘It Takes Two’ was released on June 1, 1988. It peaked at #36 on Billboard’s Hot 💯and #3 on Billboard’s Dance Club chart.

🎤 I like the Whopper, fuck the Big Mac 🎤

[Variety @Variety]

Rob Base, one-half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, who was best known for the hit “It Takes Two,” has died at 59 from cancer.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten,” reads a statement on his social media account. “Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.”

https://t.co/NFGZR3FQLl

[Ruben || Check the Rhyme @checktherhyme1_]

AZ & Nas performing Life's a Bitch w/ The Roots on Jimmy Fallon

It's gotta be a crazy feeling to write a song in your late teens and early 20s and still perform it 30+ years later 🔥

[DS @DorkSirjur]

Proper bit of history now. A UK Soundclash between two of the best. 39 years ago:

This is The Wild Bunch (@MassiveAttackUK) v Soul II Soul Soundclash 31.12.87

The collective that would become Massive Attack versus a superb early collective. Cassette aesthetic, proper history clash business. Second time The Wild Bunch have been on the page, I'll link the other in comments.

Reminder that all mixes uploaded here today go on my Kofi for download tonight.

👇🔥👇

[Itch Radio @itchradio]

UK Hip-Hop did not start in boardrooms.

Max LX and Dave VJ built it on pirate radio, roadshows, and small studios across London.

On the KISS FM Rap Show, they gave space to US and early UK Hip Hop talent when few others would.

Massive salute to Max LX and Dave VJ .

[Itch Radio @itchradio]

Ty carved his own lane. He blended jazz, soul, and his Nigerian roots into Hip-Hop that felt grown, rich, and real.

He earned a Mercury nomination. He worked with Tony Allen. The talent was undeniable.

Yet the big platforms stayed quiet. The doors didn’t fully open.

RIP Ty

[JahMusicMansion @JahMusicMansion]

Rise in power to the great Ernie Smith 🙏🏾🎶

Sunrise 🌅 May 1st 1945
Sunset 🌇 April 16th 2026
🌹☀️💚😪

Born Glenroy Anthony Michael Archangelo Smith in May 1945 in Kingston, Jamaica, Ernie Smith blessed the world with his rich, deep baritone voice and timeless reggae classics.

[Marcus Origa @Iya_Livity]

Delroy Wilson — Dancing Mood with Prince Jammy and Bunny “Striker” Lee in King Tubby Studio. Clip from “Deep Roots Music” documentary 1983 🇯🇲

[Trojan Records @trojanrecords]

We’re celebrating the remarkable Sonia Pottinger. Originally an accountant, she became a producer behind countless reggae hits, working with artists such as Ken Boothe, The Melodians, and The Gaylads, and producing ballads like “Every Night” by Joe White & Chuck Josephs.

[Michael Morgan @mikecmorgan]

Timeline cleanse. Hip-Hop turns 53 this year. So many UK Rap groups get forgotten when it comes to recognising the ‘old school’. Here are a few of my favourites.

[ＳＨＹ ＦＸ @ShyFX]

100 → 05.03.26

#shyfx #newmusic #electronicmusic

[SoulFood66 @BlackAndNative1]

Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness (1974)

[Hip Hop History Guy @HipHopHistoryGy]

De La Soul - 'Potholes In My Lawn' (HD) (60fps) [1988] (prod. Prince Paul | Tommy Boy Records | Album: 3 Feet High And Rising) @WeAreDeLaSoul @PlugWonDeLaSoul @DJPrincePaul @TommyBoyRecords #hiphop

[Jamaica Gleaner @JamaicaGleaner]

Lowell Fillmore ‘Sly’ Dunbar’s passing is not just the loss of a musician. It marks the silencing of a core pulse in modern Jamaican music.

Read more: https://t.co/x287bYkPAJ #GLNREnt

[wrongtom @TheWrongtom]

RIP Simon Harris.

Pioneering producer, Music Of Life label owner, early architect of UK hip hop, and the guy running the rhythm behind Daddy Freddy when he beat his own record as the fastest MC in the world on Record Breakers back in 1989