Jackson broke down barriers for urban artists

As the news broke that Michael Jackson, King of Pop, had tragically passed away, Kanya King, CEO and Founder of the MOBO Awards was just touching down in LA to attend the annual BET Awards. An event which will be attended by stars from all over the world, many of whom, perhaps, would not have achieved the same level of success had it not been for the influence of Michael Jackson. Jackson broke many barriers during the course of his music career; he was the first black musician to have a music video heavily rotated on MTV. As such, he has opened doors and become the stimulus for many of the urban artists we see in the charts today. Artists, such as Usher and Chris Brown, who often cite Jackson as their inspiration and mentor.

King commented: "This is a massive loss for the music industry, that cannot be understated. And although we have lost the King of Pop, his music lives on not only in the heart of his millions of fans worldwide, a fanbase built up during a career spanning four decades, but also in the music of his contemporaries and everyone who has come after him. Those who often imitated but never bettered his extraordinarily achievements.
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