A couple of weeks have passed now since the tragic passing of Jamal Edwards and it still has not quite sunk in yet for many people.
For readers that do not know who Jamal Edwards was, he was one of the pioneers for the UK music scene. He gave early opportunities to artists like Ed Sheeran, Dave, Krept & Konan just to name a few.
The influence that Jamal Edwards had on the UK scene was monumental and unmatched.
Jamal Edwards was one of those people who had a vision, and he and everybody around him saw that vision and believed in it.
From filming videos with a camera, he got for his 15th birthday, to helping film music videos for some of the artists that we know and love today and earning an MBE for his contribution to music.
The journey that Jamal Edwards went on can be followed through SBTV which he set up all the way back in 2006. SBTV is a platform for artists to showcase their talents, post their music videos and just elevate themselves to new heights.
Jamal Edwards started this with that same vision previously mentioned in mind, and his vision well and truly came to fruition. Many people grew up watching freestyles on the platforms F64 or Warm Up Sessions via SBTV and many still go and watch those same videos back today.
The memories and the joy that these videos would bring people still hold weight to this day and will never be forgotten.
Since his passing, so many artists have shared their memories with Jamal and every single one of them talks about how kind he was, how much he did for them, how much he believed in and supported them, how he truly was one of the good guys and without him we would not necessarily have a lot of the talent that we have coming out of the UK today.
In an Instagram post following Jamal’s passing Ed Sheeran said “Jamal is my brother. His light shone so bright. He only used it to illuminate others and never asked for anything in return. A star's light shines for millions of years after they go, and his will continue to light up every dark moment, we are all witnessing his power.
“I would not be here without him, professionally and personally. There will never be anything close to what he is but I’m so grateful to have existed within his orbit.”
Jamal Edwards truly is an icon in the British music scene and his contribution towards music will never be forgotten.
Rest In Eternal Peace.