Entertainment
Jamal Edwards, music entrepreneur and Youtube star dies age 31
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British entrepreneur and YouTube star Jamal Edwards has died at the age of 31, his company has told the BBC.
He was the founder of SBTV, an online urban music platform which helped launch the careers of artists like Dave, Ed Sheeran and Skepta.
Chart-topper AJ Tracey was one of the first to pay tribute online, tweeting “RIP Jamal Edwards, west London legend status”.
Edwards, born in Luton, was appointed an MBE for services to music in 2014.
A pioneering figure in British rap and grime music, he also became an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a youth charity run by the Prince of Wales which helps young people set up their own companies.
He attended the Brit Awards earlier this month and was understood to have performed as a DJ at a gig in north London on Saturday night. No details have been released about his death, other than it happened on Sunday morning.
It’s impossible to overstate how important Jamal Edwards was to British rap.
His YouTube channel, which was started “on a £20 phone” while he was still at school, has given early exposure to almost every key player in the game. Stormzy, Skepta, JME, J Hus, Lady Leshurr, Dave, AJ Tracey, Krept & Konan, Headie One… the list is endless.
To an extent, SBTV was formed out of frustration. “Everyone in my area was an MC and I remember thinking, ‘Why can’t I find these online? I’m going to film people in my area and upload it to Youtube’.” Edwards told BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2017. “And from there it just started building and growing.”
SB TV arrived at a crucial time, showing that grime could thrive online, while police were attempting to shut down gigs with the controversial risk-assessment form 696.
The channel’s success meant Edwards became known as an entrepreneur and businessman – but he was a reluctant frontman. “I wanted to be the Banksy” he said. “I wanted no-one to know who I was.”
That changed in 2011, when he was featured in an advert for Google Chrome. His name was searched more than a million times. and people started approaching him for selfies.
But he put his notoriety to good use – raising awareness of mental health, funding youth centres and encouraging other young entrepreneurs.
Music remained his true passion, though, and he never stopped supporting the artists he loved. As recently as December, he encouraged Ed Sheeran to record a new verse for a song he’d discovered by Nigerian artist Fireboy DML. That track, Peru, climbed to number two in the UK charts, giving the African star his first international hit.
Edwards took no credit – he never did – but hundreds of artists have similar stories. His loss will be felt throughout the UK music scene.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that British music and entertainment “has lost one of its brightest stars”.
Rapper Dave, actor and director Adam Deacon and the Voice newspaper, a weekly newspaper that caters for the interests of British-born black people, were among others to post tributes online.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
Award-winning Ghanaian rapper, Michael Addo popularly known as Sarkodie, has called for a deeper and more sustainable partnership between Ghana’s creative industry and the financial technology sector.
The rapper made the call on Tuesday when he paid a courtesy call on the management of MobileMoney Fintech Limited at the company’s head office in Accra to explore opportunities for collaboration beyond the conventional corporate sponsorship arrangement.
The meeting focused on how the two sectors could work together to promote financial inclusion, digital financial services and opportunities within Ghana’s growing creative economy.
The rapper acknowledged MobileMoney Fintech Ltd’s past support for his annual Rapperholic concert, but emphasised that his broader objective was to establish a long-term partnership that creates sustainable value for both the company and the creative industry.
“I am here today not like the usual business where we come and ask, ‘Can we get sponsorship for our show?’ and that’s it. It goes beyond just coming in and getting support,” Sarkodie said.
He pointed out that artistes and creative professionals maintain long-term visions for their careers including album releases, tours, brand initiatives, and community engagement programmes and argued that corporate partnerships should be structured around shared objectives.
Sarkodie proposed to use his upcoming campus tour as a platform for MobileMoney Fintech Ltd to engage directly with young people, raising awareness about the company’s new MoMo app and its comprehensive suite for financial services.
Welcoming Sarkodie and his team, the Chief Executive Officer of MobileMoney Fintech Ltd, Mr Shaibu Haruna, described the visit as an important step towards strengthening the relationship between the creative and Fintech industries.
Mr Haruna explained that although MobileMoney Fintech Ltd was primarily a technology-driven company, its relationship with the entertainment industry remained strategic because of the enormous reach and influence of both sectors.
Both parties expressed commitment to future engagements to identify concrete areas of cooperation, focusing heavily on expanding financial inclusion, connecting young people to digital financial services, and accelerating the growth of Ghana’s creative economy.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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It was a night of fun and excitement as thousands converged at the National Theatre for Nana Osei Bonsu annual comedy special in Accra.
Themed: ‘Comfortably Struggling’, was built around his personal experiences, using humour to explore the realities, challenges and lessons that comes with everyday life.
The one-hour solid performance kept the audience engaged from start to finish, with his personal stories providing the foundation for a night of comedy and relatable storytelling.
Nana Osei Bonsu known in showbiz circles as MC Okokobioko told The Spectator Agoro that the show further cements his growing influence in Ghana’s comedy and entertainment space.
According to MC Okokobioko this years comedy show gives a summary about his personal life that even the struggles of life can become a reason for each and every one to laugh again.
The show featured an impressive line-up of Ghanaian and international comedians, including MJ The Comedian, Ranzy Ray, Talk Plenty, Parrot Mouth, Kweku Manu, Alphenomina, Jeneral Ntatia, Slim Saint from Nigeria and Papayaw Atamle who served as the MC for the night.
Best known as Africa’s Biggest Viral Wedding MC, he has successfully expanded that identity into stand-up comedy.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
