Jamal Edwards: A great Black musician and entrepreneur

In an age when some forms or genres of Black music such as rap and grime, and the artistes associated with these, are often maligned and regarded as perpetuators of violence and misogyny, it was both sad and interesting to hear about the death of Jamal Edwards. At a time when so many young Black men and boys in Britain have died as a result of violence, often leaving the Black community to reflect on what could have been, Jamal’s death resulted in different responses in the Black community and beyond. It seems surreal to speak about death and celebration in the same sentence. Yet, this seems to be what happened, when, in February 2022, Jamal passed away aged just 31. Although the death of a loved one is a very sad affair, Jamal Edward’s passing presents an opportunity to not only reflect but also to celebrate some of the achievements of this young life. 

Jamal Edwards was a media entrepreneur and music producer as well as author. He helped influence and launch the music careers of Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Jessie J. Yet his start in life was far from one filled with bright lights and the proverbial silver spoon. Jamal was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, and lived there for a few years before moving to live in Acton, West London, where he completed secondary school and college. What is particularly inspiring about Jamal’s story is that while his early life was characterised by some degree of deprivations, he had the ambition to succeed without turning to criminal activities. Nothing is particularly remarkable, unique or stands out, about his early life during his school years. He was, at this stage, just like many other young Black school boys in Britain. He started rapping and filming videos with his friends that would then be posted on YouTube. This would signal the start of one of his main life-long business interests and passions.   

He used the initials of the name he used for his rapping, SmokeyBarz, for SBTV, which was the YouTube channel he set up at the age of 16, in 2006, to upload his film clips and bring them to a wider audience. This would be a very simple but effective method of spreading his music. He did not stop there. In 2016, Edwards was named as one of the Maserati 100 in 2016, a partnership with the Sunday Times to recognise one hundred game-changing entrepreneurs who were innovators in the business world. As well as his online platform, Edwards released a headwear collection and in 2013, published an ebook, Self-Belief: The Vision: How To Be a Success on Your Own Terms. Jamal also worked to help raise awareness pertaining to mental health. In March 2017, he made a documentary with The Guardian about male suicide. What was also very important and worthy of note was that as Jamal developed his brands, he expanded into other entrepreneurial ventures, often with a focus on improving the lives of disadvantaged young people. Although Jamal was so young, his achievements seem fitting for someone who had lived at least twice as long as he did. He seemed to demonstrate that as a young Black person, it is possible to be true to yourself, achieve success, but always remember your roots. Many people spoke of the positive contributions Jamal made not only in the Black communities in and around London, but further afield. While no one is perfect, his short life had more positives than negatives and is an example for many young Black people to follow.  

Tony Talburt Ph.D. is a senior lecturer in Black Studies at Birmingham City University in  Britain.