Brian Jackson has a rather good birthday plan: take the stage at the Royal Albert Hall with Yasiin Bey and celebrate the music he made with Gil Scott-Heron. Beats another restaurant reservation.

The official event announcement lists the London performance for Sunday, October 11, 2026. Jackson is bringing the music of his longtime collaborator into a live setting with Bey, the artist many of us first came to know as Mos Def.

There is a real connection to appreciate here. Jackson helped write and shape the original music; Bey brings his own history of rap, singing and politically engaged storytelling. The evening puts those creative generations in direct conversation.

If Black on Both Sides was your first introduction to Bey, this is a good reason to widen the listening. Follow the names behind the music as well as the names on the ticket. Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s work has traveled through hip-hop for decades, including through samples used by artists such as Common and Kendrick Lamar, as the announcement notes.

We like seeing that influence acknowledged with a living collaborator at the center of the event. Jackson is not a footnote in somebody else’s story. He is on the stage, sharing work he helped create.

London readers, check the official listing for tickets and final timings. The rest of us have a good excuse to revisit three names with an enormous amount of music between them.

Official Gil Scott-Heron celebration artwork via MyTicket. Image source and credits.

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