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Who is Jamal Edwards, The Late British Music Mogul.
Jamal Edwards is a British music entrepreneur and was the founder of SBTV, an online urban music platform that helped launch the careers of artists like Dave, Ed Sheeran and Skepta. He recently passed away at the age of 31.
Jamal Edwards is a British music entrepreneur and was the founder of SBTV, an online urban music platform that helped launch the careers of artists like Dave, Ed Sheeran and Skepta. He recently passed away at the age of 31.
As one of the pioneering figures in British rap and grime music, celebrities, corporations and public figures gave out their tributes, statements and condolences in regards to Edwards’s death.
British rapper & songwriter, AJ Tracey was one of the first to pay tribute online, tweeting “RIP Jamal Edwards, west London legend status”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that British music and entertainment “has lost one of its brightest stars”.
British music and entertainment has lost one of its brightest stars. My thoughts are with Jamal’s loved ones at this terribly sad time. https://t.co/Rrf8v9Tkgu
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) February 20, 2022
Rapper Dave simply tweeted: “Thank you for everything??❤️ words can’t explain,” while actor and director Adam Deacon posted that he was “honestly heartbroken”.
“Jamal was one of the nicest, most down to earth and humble men I’ve met in this industry,” he said. “He always gave me time even when no one else would.”
Rapper Lady Leshurr tweeted the news of his death was “heartbreaking” and praised him for helping her career.
“He gave me opportunity after opportunity to showcase my talent from Brum into London. We need to keep his name and brand alive,” she wrote.
This man helped so many artists to become who they are today including myself. He gave me opportunity after opportunity to showcase my talent from Brum into London. We need to keep his name and brand alive. This is painful the good always go too soon ? @SBTVonline pic.twitter.com/Y3pT4929dp
— #CARMEN ?? (@LadyLeshurr) February 20, 2022
In a tweet, the organisers of Mobo Awards said they were “deeply saddened” to learn of Edwards’ death.
They added: “As the founder of @SBTVonline, his groundbreaking work & legacy in British music and culture will live on. Our hearts and thoughts are with his friends and family.”
Childhood
Jamal Edwards was born on the 24th of August 1990 in Luton, England. He was introduced to the entertainment industry by his mother Brenda Edwards, who is a singer (she came fourth in the second series of The X Factor) and a TV presenter. Although Brenda wanted Jamal to pursue acting and drama, The late entrepreneur took to the music industry.
Jamal attended Acton High School and enjoyed subjects ICT and music. He then furthered his education at the Ealing Green College, part of West London College, where he received a BTEC Diploma in Media Moving Image.
During his school years, he started rapping and would film videos with his friends that would then be posted on YouTube. These videos would eventually become his business and the beginning of SBTV. Edwards worked for the retail chain Topman for 4 years to support himself financially while he ran SBTV
Music Career
Jamal Edwards launched SBTV in 2006 after Jamal was 15, he was given a video camera by his parents, he filmed his friends rapping and performing and uploaded them to the YouTube channel. The Channel name was an acronym of his rap name at the time was ‘SmokeyBarz’. Initially, the channel’s content was grime dance music, but he then began to explore other musical genres.
According to BBC news, SBTV which was started “on a £20 phone” while he was still at school, has given early exposure to almost every key player in the game. Stormzy, Skepta, JME, J Hus, Lady Leshurr, Dave, AJ Tracey, Krept & Konan, Headie One and many other international acts.
“Everyone in my area was an MC and I remember thinking, ‘Why can’t I find these online? I’m going to film people in my area and upload it to Youtube’.” Edwards told BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2017. “And from there it just started building and growing.”
The report further noted that SB TV arrived at a crucial time, showing that grime could thrive online, while police were attempting to shut down gigs with the controversial risk-assessment form 696.
Despite the success of SBTV Music remained Jamal’s true passion, as recently as December, he encouraged Ed Sheeran to record a new verse for a song he’d discovered by Nigerian artist Fireboy DML. The track, Peru, made it into the billboard hot 100 and number two in the UK charts, giving the African star his first international hit.
Edwards took no credit – he never did – but hundreds of artists have similar stories. His loss will be felt throughout the UK music scene.
Fashion, writing and charity work
Aside from Jamal’s contribution to the British music industry, he also entered the fashion world, walking the catwalk for Hermes, fronting a collection for Kurt Geiger and then posing for Primark in order to illustrate his own belief that “affordable fashion is important”.
He wrote a book – described as a mix of a memoir and a business manual – called Self Belief: The Vision: How to Be a Success on Your Own Terms.
Edwards also founded JE Delve, a grassroots charity that provides youth clubs as well as learning and work opportunities for young people in west London, where he grew up after he and his family moved there from Luton.
He worked with a handful of other youth charities and regularly made visits to speak to teenagers, including at both Acton High School and West London College where he had studied, to answer questions on business success and self-motivation.