Jamal Edwards, the founder of the media platform SBTV, which helped to launch grime and a new wave of artists to a global audience, died on Sunday morning at the age of 31.
Jamal is someone who I knew through my time spent in the music industry and saw as a real inspirational character. So it hit me really hard to hear that he had passed away at such a tender age.
Edwards was also a director, novelist, DJ, entrepreneur, and designer, and he received an MBE for his work in music in 2014, when he was only 24 years old.
Some of the world's most successful performers – including Ed Sheeran, Dave, and Jessie J, Skepta to name a few - began their careers on SBTV, Edwards' platform, which started as a YouTube channel, before being signed to major labels.
Edwards began SBTV "on a £20 phone" while still in high school and turned it into a renowned online youth broadcaster, according to Edwards. His YouTube channel, which he started in 2006, now has 1.2 million subscribers and nearly 1 billion views.
Stormzy, Rita Ora, Krept & Konan, Bugzy Malone, and others were among the musicians featured on the channel, which was called after Edwards' rap moniker SmokeyBarz.
In a 2017 interview with the Guardian, Edwards said, "I always looked at grime like the punk movement, in terms of lyrics and defiant attitude."
SBTV's F64 – a fresh 64 bars of new and unique lyrics – was a signature format that featured everyone from renowned artists like Wiley to novices and up-and-comers.
Edwards grew raised in Acton, west London, and was born in Luton in 1990. To support himself while developing SBTV, he earned a BTec diploma in media moving image from Ealing College and worked at retail chain Topman.
When he became wealthy, Edwards invested heavily in philanthropy, especially mental health and youth centre support. He sought to break down stigmas around men's mental health by speaking openly about his personal anxieties, and in 2021 he initiated an initiative to renovate and reopen youth centres.
People from the music industry, politics, athletics, and other fields paid tribute to Edwards on social media.
Edwards also served as an ambassador for the Prince of Wales's charitable organisation, the Prince's Trust.
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