The death of Jamal Edwards is one framed by an appalling, almost unbearable sense of loss. A pivotal figure in the evolution of British music, his multiple gifts not only changed his own life, but those around him. Re-shaping the media landscape to fulfil his dreams, Jamal was able to take others alongside him, with his natural warmth and depth of character coming to define him.
Famously getting his first video camera as a birthday present, Jamal Edwards started making clips for his own SmokeyBarz artist project. Quickly realising that his natural flair lay in visual communication, SmokeyBarz then became SB.TV, fully launching in 2006. Grappling with a lawless web-driven landscape, the platform’s simplicity – short clips, featuring new talent, often in unvarnished, street shot locations – became its hallmark.
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Part of a wave of young creators who signed up in the opening weeks and months of YouTube, it was Jamal’s tenacity, and inventive nature that allowed SB.TV to prosper while others faltered. Black British music and culture had been documented before, but only sporadically – the web offered a unique opportunity for these communities to unite, with one of their own as a figurehead.
Not that Jamal viewed himself as such. During the tributes last night – February 20th – what emerged most profoundly was someone driven by a pure love of music, and an abiding respect for the culture that lies behind it. As the producer Plastician put it: “I am sure his family know this already but Jamal was the guy in the room when you arrived somewhere on your own he’d come over and have a chat and introduce his friends to you. He knew everyone but always made time for every person. Above all his accolades he was a great human.”
Perhaps it was this natural aptitude with people that drove Jamal Edwards to such stunning heights. A millionaire in his 20s, he helped launch everyone from Dave, AJ Tracey, and Stormzy through to Ed Sheeran and Jessie J – refusing to be hemmed in, he was unafraid to embrace the popular, while forever platforming the underground.
With SB.TV garnering an audience that puts traditional broadcasters to shame, he was able to release his own best-selling eBook, before – remarkably – collecting an MBE from the Royal Family, in recognition of his achievements within music and British industry more generally.
Even a cursory summary of his achievements are remarkable, game-changing. A kid from Acton who grew up infatuated with the older MCs around him, he helped kick the door open in British music by circumventing established media to forge a space they could call their own. A dyed-in-the-wool Chelsea fan who would come to help define the way the club spoke to the world, he was able to meet his heroes on a daily basis – and call them friends.
Yet he never seemed overawed by those achievements. Constantly moving forwards, Jamal Edwards was able to pull others into his orbit, helping inspire them on their own paths. Tributes made so far range from a slew of MCs – everyone from Big Zuu to Potter Payper have paid homage – to others in music and media, who took their experiences working alongside him and struck out on their own. It’s perhaps Jamal Edwards’ greatest legacy that a new generation of Black British music industry executives have used his success as a spur towards their own dreams – the glass ceiling is gradually coming down, piece by piece. In a simple but powerful salute, #Merky Books – the publishing imprint run by Stormzy – quotes Jamal Edwards’ own words: “You never know what you might create, or the change you might inspire.”
A figure who grew from the DIY nature of web-broadcasting to become a key player within British music, Jamal Edwards spent lockdown seeking out new paths. He led the launch of a brand new app, one which – typically – was focussed on uncovering new talent, on removing the barriers in front of young British artists. His loss is felt all the more keenly as he had so much left to achieve – with Web 3.0 still in its infancy, Jamal Edwards’ natural instincts could have opened up this new arena in tantalising ways.
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Above all else, though, he was a friend, a son, and a brother. Jamal Edwards’ mother Brenda – a warm, respected musician and media personality herself – confirmed the news in a heartbreaking statement to ITV.
"It is with the deepest heartache that I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness. Myself, his sister Tanish and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world," she shared.
She continued: "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, PHD."
.@susannareid100 reads out a statement from Jamal Edwards’ mother and our dear colleague Brenda Edwards.
Our condolences and thoughts are with Brenda and Jamal’s family and friends. pic.twitter.com/IE5qGVZnKB
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 21, 2022
Only 31 years old, a young man approaching a new decade in life, the loss of Jamal Edwards feels impossibly cruel. We’re left, however, with a remarkable legacy, and a new creative world to grapple with. As Atlantic Records figure Austin Daboh points out, when SB.TV launched in 2006 not one UK rapper made the Top 40 – this month, Little Simz and Dave stole the show at the BRIT Awards.
We leave you with the words of Jamal Edwards, first posted in 2012 and proving to be heartbreakingly apt. “We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”
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