Music pioneer Jamal Edwards was tragically found dead from a heart attack by his mother after coming home late from a DJ set, a friend has claimed.
Celebrity tributes have flooded social media after the YouTube star and founder of SBTV died, aged 31, at the weekend.
His cause of death was not initially revealed but his mother, Loose Women star Brenda Edwards, released a statement putting it down to a “short illness”.
But a friend has claimed Jamal suffered a cardiac arrest in his bedroom after returning home from a late-night DJ set.
“The details are still not clear but we’ve been told that it was a heart attack,” the friend, named Dwayne, told MailOnline.
“He was out DJing on Saturday night and eventually got home in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“The family are still trying to come to terms with it all, but we’ve heard that his mum found him in his bedroom and called an ambulance.”
Edwards founded the online music platform SBTV when he was just 15, and helped launch the careers of artists including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Jessie J and Dave. He was awarded an MBE in 2014 for services to music.
On Monday night, Acton residents gathered beneath a high street mural depicting Edwards to leave flowers, candles, and Chelsea FC shirts and listen to hip-hop.
Kal Di Paola of grassroots public arts project Acton Unframed told The Independent: “We hope that the vigil will help those that knew him (or of him), to come together to process their grief and to show their respect and admiration for a young man who has achieved so much in his short life, and done so much for his community.”
As many music industry figures paid tribute to Edwards, rapper Ghetts revealed a prescient post from Edwards a decade ago.
It said: “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”
Ghetts reposted the message and added: “Mission accomplished brother. Fly high. Thank you.”
News of Jamal’s death first surfaced on social media on Sunday, with his mother releasing a statement on Monday morning.
She said: “It is with the deepest heartache that I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness. Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated.
“He was the centre of our world. As we come to terms with his passing we ask for privacy to grieve this unimaginable loss.
“I would like to thank everyone for their messages of love and support. Jamal was an inspiration to myself and so many.
“Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards MBE, MBA, PHD.”
