Last Sunday, February 20, we woke up to the sad news that Jamal Edwards had passed away. At only 31 years old, the music entrepreneur, director, DJ, youtuber and founder of the urban music platform SB.TV passed away due to a sudden illness.
His death has shaken the whole world, but especially the United Kingdom, as the artist was from Luton, England. The details of his death have not been released, beyond the statement offered to the media by his mother, TV presenter Brenda Edwards.
“I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards has passed away after a sudden illness”
his mother said.
“As we come to terms with his passing, we ask for privacy to mourn this unimaginable loss. I would like to thank everyone for their messages of love and support. Jamal was an inspiration to me and to many. Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards,” his mother commented in the press release.
When he was only 23 years old, Edwards was awarded by the Queen of England herself as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to music. The producer also wrote self-help books on mental health and founded a charity (JE Delve) to help young people in his hometown.
In addition, he became an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a youth charity run by the Prince of Wales that is dedicated to helping underprivileged young people start their own businesses.
However, despite all these important titles, Jamal confessed that he wanted to be like Banksy. That no one would know who he was and not be in the limelight but that only the good deeds he did would be recognized. However, in 2011 everything changed for him when after appearing in a Google ad he became an influencer in England.
His effort and passion for his work made his SB.TV platform help launch the careers of artists such as Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora or Skepta. This platform was born out of the artist’s own frustration recognizing that he wanted to help urban artists in his area. In addition to his role as an entrepreneur, Jamal had a YouTube channel with over 1.2 million subscribers.
Jamal Edwards was an inspiration and help to many people and his legacy and memory will live on forever.
Dácil Palmero
