Edwards, who grew up in London, was just a teenager when he started working at SBTV in 2006, a venture that has helped lead the careers of Dave, Skepta, Stormzy and many other artists. Jamal Edwards, founder and CEO of SBTV, the British youth media platform passed away this Sunday, February 20th. In his early days Edwards, an early YouTube user, used his channel to promote music to his talented friends. Over time, he started working with artists like Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran and Jessie J. The SBTV YouTube channel he created currently has more than 1.22 million subscribers. “At the age of 16, I might not have had this experience,” he said in an interview with Prince’s Trust, a charity that helps young people start their own businesses, but I was full of energy, ideas and ready to move forward. “.
Edwards used that energy to help and inspire others and create collaborations. It was Edwards who encouraged Sheeran to contribute to a song he had discovered by artist Afrobeat Fireboy DML. The song was “Peru”, which peaked at number two on the UK official chart.
Edwards’s efforts were recognized in 2014, when he was named MBE for services in music. “Never in a million years did I ever think I would receive such an assessment,” he said in a social post at the time. “For me it’s about us young people, with so much negativity around us, sometimes it’s hard to stay positive and fight for your dreams.”
The late entrepreneur is the son of Brenda Edwards, the English singer and actress, who in 2005 finished fourth in the second X Factor series. She confirmed his death in a statement, saying: “With the deepest pain I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness. I, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the center of our world. “
The cause of death has not yet been made known to the media. As news of his death spread, tributes from well-known artists and various important personalities in the UK were spread online after Edwards was remembered as a spark in the industry, a man who came and brought innovation and obviously a memorable man.
