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I.want.that.one 10:47 Mon Feb 21
Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Doesn’t surprise me there isn’t a post about this young man yet.



He was the founder of SBTV, an online urban music platform which helped launch the careers of artists like Dave, Ed Sheeran and Skepta.
Chart-topper AJ Tracey was one of the first to pay tribute online, tweeting "RIP Jamal Edwards, west London legend status".
Edwards, born in Luton, was appointed an MBE for services to music in 2014.
A pioneering figure in British rap and grime music, he also became an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, a youth charity run by the Prince of Wales which helps young people set up their own companies.
He attended the Brit Awards earlier this month and was understood to have performed as a DJ at a gig in north London on Saturday night. No details have been released about his death, other than it happened on Sunday morning.

It's impossible to overstate how important Jamal Edwards was to British rap.
His YouTube channel, 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… the list is endless.
To an extent, SBTV was formed out of frustration. "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."
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.
The channel's success meant Edwards became known as an entrepreneur and businessman - but he was a reluctant frontman. "I wanted to be the Banksy" he said. "I wanted no-one to know who I was."
That changed in 2011, when he was featured in an advert for Google Chrome. His name was searched more than a million times. and people started approaching him for selfies.
But he put his notoriety to good use - raising awareness of mental health, funding youth centres and encouraging other young entrepreneurs.
Music remained his true passion, though, and he never stopped supporting the artists he loved. As recently as December, he encouraged Ed Sheeran to record a new verse for a song he'd discovered by Nigerian artist Fireboy DML. That track, Peru, climbed to 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.
Short presentational grey line
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that British music and entertainment "has lost one of its brightest stars".
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 always gave me time even when no one else would. and the Voice newspaper, a weekly newspaper that caters for the interests of British-born black people, were among others to post tributes online.
"He was an inspiration and what he achieved in life was truly remarkable. Thinking of his friends and family at this devastating time. RIP."
The Voice Newspaper added their whole team was "saddened and shocked", saying: "Gone waaay to soon. He made an amazing contribution to promoting black music, to entrepreneurship, and so much more. An incredible talent who will be much missed. RIP."
Presenter and comedian Mo Gilligan, who hosted this year's Brit awards, tweeted: "A truly humble and blessed soul. Your legacy will live on for years & you've inspired a whole generation."
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.

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."
Birmingham-based rapper Jaykae is an example of one of the acts that SBTV has helped to achieve success. Although he only broke through to mainstream chart success as the featured rapper on Top 20 hit Flowers two years ago, his videos have been featured on SBTV for more than a decade.
Describing Edwards as a "legend", Jaykae tweeted: "I think I can speak for us all as artists and as supporters of UK grime/rap scene when I say I owe this man so much! Helped me sometimes without even speaking of it."
Edwards, who was the son of singer and Loose Women presenter Brenda Edwards, first got into film-making after his parents gave him a video camera as a Christmas present when he was 15.
Fashion, writing and charity work
In a 2013 interview with the BBC, he said he filmed friends rapping or singing and began to upload the videos to YouTube to allow other friends to see them.
"You can say my videos had mixed reviews to begin with, some people didn't get them, but others thought they were sick [good]," he said. "So I started to put them up on YouTube so everyone could see them, and it just grew from there."
SBTV - his London-based platform for discovering emerging artists and named after Edwards' own rapper moniker SmokeyBarz - has now grown to 1.22 million subscribers on YouTube.
It featured early music videos from artists including J Hus, Emeli Sande and Stormzy - and dozens of other British acts who were not widely known at that time.

Edwards attended London's 2020 Harley Quinn film premiere for Birds of Prey
As Edwards' own profile grew, 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.
Ealing MP Rupa Huq shared a selection of photos of Edwards on social media as she paid tribute to the "local hero".

Replies - Newest Posts First (Show In Chronological Order)

Alwaysaniron 4:48 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
I think his death only highlights further the huge gulf between the youth (workshy cunts) and the older generation (miserable cunts). I'd never heard of him but he made his fortune on Youtbe.. Enough said. RIP though as he was a young fella and anybody dying that young is never nice to see....

TheBoleynBoy 12:12 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
He was a good bloke, helped a few of my pals along the way with getting some exposure and even just giving little bits of advice to help them all improve on something.

SBTV came around when pirate radio, Tape packs and the scene DVDs was dying out. Back then only Channel U gave exposure to the scenes music and MTV base would only have a select few music videos. YouTube wasn’t even what YouTube is now, he utilised it and became big within the scene.

Warm Up Sessions and The F64 bars freestyles as Mashed said was a huge thing for anyone and still is for the up and coming artist.

Jamal actually filmed one of my pals music videos a few months back.

iphammer 11:41 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
RIP Jamal

A great entrepreneur

Jamal was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and one of GQ Magazine's 100 Most Connected Men Of All Time


https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e39-jamal-edwards-from-media-student-to-multimillionaire/id1291423644?i=1000452964155

Takashi Miike 11:26 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
I'm an old school hip hop fan but I don't like grime or that ginger cunt, so missed this lad. I do know he's a mother though, who seems a nice person so it's very sad for her family

mashed in maryland 11:22 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Visionary isn't much of a stretch.

SBTV started as a way of letting normal kids round his area MC on camera and get put on the internet (back then pirate radio was dying out and grime/UKHH had very limited commercial exposure, YouTube was also brand new) and it ended up launching several careers, and having an SBTV freestyle has almost become a rite of passage.

Not bad for one lad with a camcorder. Fully appreciate not everyone likes the music. I personally detest Ed Sheeran but hey ho

LeroysBoots 11:01 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Visionary and musical genius I'm reading, who is he ?, Never heard of him. Is he the UKs version of jay Z, Poundland stylee

Crassus 3:30 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Never heard of him or any of his ‘artists’ other than that ginger tramp
Then again, grime, mobos and urban black yoot culture is not exactly a staple territory of mine
From the thread he seems to have been a decent lad so a shame, for his family
Heart? Unleaded gear?
Whatever, to soon, RIP

Lertie Button 1:22 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Given he helped launch Ed Sheeran's career it's probably murder, sad but totally understandable

Grumpster 12:12 Tue Feb 22
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Never heard of him or SBTV, but how's your luck becoming rich and famous and then dying young and not getting the chance to enjoy it.

RIP fella

joe royal 10:17 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
I’m in the never heard of him camp also.

Mind you I listen to Jim Bob and Gerard Way most days.

joe royal 10:17 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
I’m in the never heard of him camp also.

Mind you I listen to Jim Bob and Gerard Way most days.

mashed in maryland 9:54 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
His actual name probably wasn't a household name as such but his brand (SBTV) definitely is.

Almost every big name in UK grime and rap has done a freestyle on his channel and many got big purely off it. No big stretch to say careers and fortunes were made cos of him. Just type in "[artist name] sbtv" and you'll probably see someone before they got famous.

And he done it all from scratch by himself.

(Plus in a game full of egos he was known universally as approachable and humble, probably helped a lot with what he did)

Cause of death apparently a heart attack.. at 31 that's no way to go. Real shame tbh.

El Scorchio 8:42 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Was he a really big deal? This is all over the news but I've never heard of him.

w4hammer 5:54 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
went to my lads school, - i know tens of people who have never had anything other than good things to say about him RIP

greenie1 5:35 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Never heard of him, but reading the above, fair play to the bloke, he did well for himself.

RIP.

Gary Strodders shank 3:26 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
You have to feel for his mum (Brenda Edwards) who also lost both parents in a car crash when she was a small child.
For some people it would seem tragedy is never far from the door.
I guess we should all count our blessings
RIP

mashed in maryland 2:50 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Most people under about 30.. whatever type of music they listen to... would probably have an idea who he is.

Almost everyone north of 40 won't have heard of him, unless they specifically enjoyed grime or UK rap in the last 10 or so years.

WHO has far more of the second type than the first.

Its a shame, seemed a nice fella, and did a lot to get artists out there who otherwise wouldn't have had any publicity whatsoever.

I.want.that.one 2:43 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Defjam.

I thought the same but you can’t overstate the influence the man has had on the British music industry and the direction it’s gone.


And this wasn’t ‘race baiting’ at all. I was pointing out that the general demographic of posters on here wouldn’t really know of him.

11MDE 2:35 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Well at least we know who was responsible for that shit music flying around at the moment.

RIP

defjam 1:39 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
I.want.that.one 10:47 - I was going to then I thought it would be a wasted post on here.
Lots of my friends in music devastated as he helped so many get a leg up.

He was an ambassador for C.A.L.M the suicide prevention charity so the signs aren't good.

RiP

greenie1 1:35 Mon Feb 21
Re: Jamal Edwards SBTV dies aged 31
Never heard of him.

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