"Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn" World Premiere - Red Carpet Arrivals LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Jamal Edwards attends the "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn" World Premiere at the BFI IMAX on January 29, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images)
British music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards is no longer with us. According to a statement released by his mother Brenda Edwards, he passed away on the morning of February 20. The music industry credits Jamal as a pioneer who introduced the masses to UK rap and grime through his online platform SBTV. He also helped launch the careers of several big names including Ed Sheeran and Jessie J.
Brenda released her touching statement to the British TV talk show ‘Loose Women,’ where she stars as a panelist. She named a “sudden illness” as the cause of her son’s passing. Brenda revealed feeling the “deepest heartache” and “completely devastated” over the news.
“He was the centre of our world,” Brenda wrote. “As we come to terms with his passing we ask for privacy to grieve this unimaginable loss. I would like to thank everyone for their messages of love and support. Jamal was an inspiration to myself and so many. Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards MBE, MBA and PHD.”
Jamal, who was raised in West London, is a big name for the British rap and grime music scene, per CNN. After receiving a video camera at age 15 from his parents, Jamal jumped into the industry. NBC News reports that he started his career as an early YouTuber who shared music and videos by upcoming artists.
“I remember I was just sitting there and was thinking, ‘Why can’t I find these online?’ and if they were online it was just bad-quality versions,” Jamal told BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2017. “…So I thought ‘Alright, cool, I’m going to try and film people in my area and upload it to YouTube.’ And from there it just started building and growing.”
The growth led to SBTV or SmokeyBarz TV. The platform’s YouTube channel says SBTV “provides a platform to discover and break emerging artists, enjoy your favourite acts and unearth incredible talent.” According to Complex UK, his YouTube channel set the “gold standard for online music platforms in the UK.”
In 2014, Jamal received an MBE, which stands for Member of the British Empire, Award for his “services to music,” per CNN. He was 24 years old at the time.
Roommates, join us in sending his family, friends and fans worldwide peace and healing energy!
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