SHORTEE BLITZ & BEAT A MAXX - THE MUSIC IS BLACK MIXTAPE (320kbs-m4a/138mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 1Xtra broadcast: 12th April 2026
Celebrating 100 years of Black Music in the UK with a fast paced mixtape, featuring over 200 artists and tracks, from the earliest performers through to those from the present day.
DJs Shortee Blitz and Beat A Maxx take you through the history of UK black music and the impact it has had on cultural life: from the black singers, black musicians and black band-leaders of the early 20th century; right through to the black rappers, black producers and visionaries of the 21st century,
The Music Is Black Mixtape combines mash-ups and mixes with genre-defining anthems and overlooked gems to create a unique mix.
Produced by the BBC. The Music Is Black is a collaboration with V&A East Museum. bbc.co.uk/themusicisblack
Cyril Blake & His Jig's Club Band - Blue Skies
Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson - Snakehips Swing
Lord Kitchener - London Is The Place For Me
Evelyn Dove - Every Time I Feel De Spirit
Adelaide Hall - The Train's A-Coming
Reginald Foresythe - Garden Of Weed
Young Tiger (George Browne) - Calypso Be
Maxine Daniels - Shiny Stockings
The Ray Ellington Quartet - The Three Bears
Winifred Atwell - The Poor People Of Paris
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Hiawatha's Wedding Feast
Edric Connor & The Caribbeans - Day Dah Light
Shirley Bassey - Spinning Wheel
Desmond Dekker & The Aces - 007 (Shanty Town)
P.P. Arnold - The First Cut Is The Deepest
Nadia Cattouse - Mr Tambourine Man
Cy Grant (feat. Bill LeSage) - Feeling Good
Cleo Laine - Let's Slip Away
Kenny Lynch - For Lovin' You Baby
Danny Williams - Steppin' Out With My Baby
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band - Michael (The Lover)
The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
Jimmy James & The Vagabonds - Now Is The Time
The Real Thing - Can You Feel The Force
Grace Kennedy - Desire
The Equals - Baby, Come Back
Atmosfear - Dancing In Outer Space
Heatwave - Boogie Nights
Delegation - Heartache No. 9
Janet Kay - Silly Games
Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution
Hot Chocolate - Heaven Is The Back Seat Of My Cadillac
Elaine Delmar - Killing Me Softly With His Song
Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
Joan Armatrading - Love And Affection
Labbi Siffre - I Got The...
Cymande - The Message
Billy Ocean - Red Light Spells Danger
Linda Lewis - Rock A Doodle Doo
Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started From
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Sonny's Lettah (Anti-sus Poem)
Misty In Roots - How Long Jah
Aswad - It's Not Our Wish (That We Should Fight)
Brinsley Forde, Aswad - Can't Tek No More
The Specials - Ghost Town
Musical Youth - Pass The Dutchie
Sade - Smooth Operator
Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
Tippa Irie - Hello Darling
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
Mel & Kim - Respectable
Cookie Crew - Got To Keep On
Double Trouble (feat. Rebel MC) - Street Tuff
Hijack - Hold No Hostage
The Chimes - Heaven
D Mob & Gary Haisman - We Call It Acieed
Linx - Intuition
Silver Bullet - 20 Seconds To Comply
Yazz & The Plastic Population - The Only Way Is Up
Black Slate - Amigo
Carrol Thompson - The Other Side Of Love
The Selecter - On My Radio
Smiley Culture - Police Officer
Maxi Priest - Wild World
Asher D & Daddy Freddy - Ragamuffin Hip-Hop
London Posse - Money Mad
Derek B - Bad Young Brother
Demon Boyz - Recognition
Soul II Soul (feat. Rose Windross) - Fairplay
Soul II Soul (feat. Caron Wheeler) - Back To Life (How Ever Do You Want Me)
Light Of The World - London Town
Slick Rick - Children's Story
Imagination - Just An Illusion
Princess - Say I'm Your Number One
Jaki Graham - Set Me Free
Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
Loose Ends - Gonna Make You Mine
Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine
Loose Ends - Hangin' On A String
Junior - Mama Used To Say
MC Duke - I'm Riffin'
Five Star - Let Me Be The One
Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen
Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack
McKoy - Families
The London Allstars (feat. Funky DL) - London Convention
Mica Paris - I Should've Known Better
Beverley Knight - Flavour Of The Old School
Maxi Priest - Close To You
The London Allstars (feat. MCD) - London Convention
Des'ree - You Gotta Be
Eternal - Stay
Loose Ends - Don't Be A Fool
Skunk Anansie - Weak
Brand New Heavies - Never Stop
London Posse - Gangster Chronicle
Young Disciples - Apparently Nothin'
Gabrielle - Dreams
Ronny Jordan - So What
M People - Moving On Up
Mica Paris - Young Soul Rebels
Monie Love - Monie In The Middle
Incognito - Always There
Massive Attack (feat. Shara Nelson) - Unfinished Sympathy
Adamski & Seal - Killer
Shut Up And Dance - Raving I'm Raving
Rebel MC (feat. Tenor Fly) - Wickest Sound
Omar - There's Nothing Like This
DJ S-S - The Lighter
Goldie - Inner City Life
M-Beat (feat. General Levy) - Incredible
Roni Size & Reprazent (feat. Dynamite MC) - Brown Paper Bag
The London Allstars (feat. Ty) - London Convention
Shy FX & UK Apachi - Original Nuttah
Lynden David Hall - Sey Cinderella
Artful Dodger (feat. Craig David) - Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)
DJ Pied Piper & The Masters Of Ceremonies - Do You Really Like It?
MJ Cole - Crazy Love
DJ Luck & MC Neat - A Little Bit Of Luck
The Dreem Teem & Neneh Cherry - Buddy X '99
Kele Le Roc - My Love
Monsta Boy (feat. Denzie) - Sorry (I Didn't Know)
Shola Ama - Imagine
So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds
Architechs (feat. Nana) - Body Groove
Heartless Crew - The Heartless Theme aka 'The Superglue Riddim'
Sticky (feat. Miss Dynamite) - Booo!
Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers
Wookie (feat. Lain) - Battle
DJ Paleface (feat. Kyla) - Do You Mind
Donae'o - Party Hard
Shaun Escoffery & DJ Spinna - Days Like This
Estelle - American Boy
Jamelia - Somrthing About You
Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp
Mis-Teeq - Scandalous
Lemar - 50/50
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
Ms. Dynamite - It Takes More
Chip - Superstar
Klashnekoff - Black Rose
Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope)
Giggs - Talkin' The Hardest
Bashy - Black Boys
Gracious K - Migraine Skank
SLK - Hype! Hype!
Roll Deep - When I'm 'Ere
JME - Serious
Kano - P's & Q's
Lethal Bizzle - Pow! (Forward)
Blak Twang (feat. Jahmali) - So Rotton
Tinie Tempah - Pass Out
Little Simz - Woman
Arlo Parks - Eugene
Jvck James - Hennessy Tears
Mahalia (feat. Burna Boy) - Simmer
RAY BLK (feat. SG Lewis) - Chill Out
Queen Mills - Winner
RAYE (feat. 070 Shake) - Escapism
Mabel - Mad Love
NSG (feat. Tion Wayne) - Options
Stefflon Don (feat. French Montana) - Hurtin' Me
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
Kojo Funds (feat. Abra Cadabra) - Dun Talkin'
Ms Banks (feat. Kida Kudz) - Snack
Not3s x Mabel - My Lover
J Hus - Did You See
Ty (feat. Sarina Leah & Shaun Escoffery) - Emotions
Krept & Konan - Don't Waste My Time
Nadia Rose (feat. Red Rat) - Tight Up
KWN - Back Of The Club
MNEK - Wrote A Song About You
Taio Cruz - Dynamite
Tinchy Stryder - In My System
Dave & Fredo - Funky Friday
Chip - Oopsy Daisy
Fuse ODG - Antenna
Olivia Dean - Man I Need
Ella Eyre x Alok x Kenny Dope (feat. Never Dull) - Deep Down
Pink Pantheress - Boy's A Liar
Lady Leshurr - Queen's Speech
Jorja Smith x Preditah - On My Mind
Sneakbo - The Wave
Bugzy Malone x TeeDee - Out Of Nowhere
Emeli Sandé - Heaven
Novelist x Mumdance - 1 Sec
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Benga & Coki - Night
Skepta (feat. JME) - That's Not Me
Stormzy - Big For Your Boots
Kano - Typical Me
D-Block Europe x Cassö x RAYE - Prada
Yussef Dayes & Tom Misch - Tidal Wave
Lethal Bizzle (feat. JME & Tempa T) - Rari WorkOut
Labrinth (feat. Tinie Tempah) - Earthquake
Wretch 32 (feat. L Marshall) - Traktor
Chase & Status, Bou (feat. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga & Takura) - Baddadan
Ella Mai - Boo'd Up
Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
Willard White - I Got Plenty O' Nuttin
Nia Archives - Baiana
