Photo: WireImage
Jamal Edwards, the British entrepreneur and DJ who founded SBTV, has died at age 31, Edwards’ company confirms via BBC News. The cause of his death is unknown as of writing. Edwards was influential for his efforts with music and championed grime, an eclectic style of British rap. He became a 2014 MBE awardee for his contributions to music.
Born in Luton and raised in Acton, Edwards launched SBTV on YouTube when he was a teenager, which gave young and established rappers their own space for creativity. He launched F64, which had rappers performing 64 bars of new lyrics. The acoustic spin-off, A64, helped launch Ed Sheeran’s career, among others. Other artists featured on SBTV include Dave, Stormzy, Jessie J, Skepta, and Wiley.
Edwards also became an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity run by Charles, Prince of Wales. Edwards also published the self-help book Self-Belief: The Vision: How to Be a Success on Your Own Terms in 2013. He also worked on documentaries, and one of them featured conversations with musicians on breaking the stigma of mental health in the music industry.
Artists everywhere have paid tribute to Edwards on social media, such as Jaykae and Lady Leshurr.
“Thank you for everything,” Dave wrote. “Words can’t explain.”
“Jamal Edwards was such a generous and inspiring person. Always gracious, he was a true pioneer,” said Zane Lowe.
