The online music channel SBTV is marking its 20th anniversary with plans to revive some of its freestyle formats in a bid to uncover a new generation of rappers, according to BBC Newsbeat. The platform was started in 2006 by Jamal Edwards, who began filming friends on the west London council estate where he grew up after receiving a camcorder for Christmas. A one-off concert at London's O2 arena next week will celebrate the milestone, with proceeds going to the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust.
Why it matters
SBTV grew out of homemade YouTube videos into a force that reshaped how British rap and grime reached audiences, and it gave early exposure to artists including Dave, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Skepta, the BBC reports. Edwards was a multimillionaire by 23 and received an MBE for services to music in 2014. He died in 2022 at the age of 31 from cardiac arrhythmia following drug use, prompting tributes from many of the people he had supported. Two decades on, the channel's decision to return to its freestyle roots is being framed by his family as a continuation of that work rather than a retrospective.
A platform built by music lovers
Tanisha Edwards, Jamal's sister and a singer-songwriter and producer in her own right, told BBC Newsbeat that curated platforms still matter at a time when algorithms shape listening habits. She said she understands from her own experience how hard it is for an artist to put work out and get through the door, and argued it is important to keep a platform that actively wants to help emerging talent and to reach places that are not usually on the map.
She described carrying her brother's name forward as something she feels grateful, honoured and blessed to do, saying the aim is to keep pushing his message of self-belief while working with the artists he had previously worked with and searching for the next generation.
The anniversary show will feature a long list of acts the channel helped platform, including Tinie Tempah, Lady Leshurr and Tinchy Stryder, alongside Dappy, Headie One and Ms Banks, according to the BBC.
Artists recall a catalyst
Rappers Nolay and Griminal, who credit Jamal Edwards as a catalyst for their careers, told Newsbeat they are looking forward to celebrating his impact at the concert. Griminal remembered him as someone with a positive energy and spirit and an eye for raw talent.
Nolay said he did more than champion her music: he showed her how much power there was in promoting your own work online and building a personal brand. That lesson has become standard practice in 2026, and Nolay suggested the shift has made parts of the industry feel less real, with connection between artists and audiences being lost as technology evolves. She said a platform like SBTV, going back to what Jamal was doing from the start, will matter greatly to artists who feel disheartened.
What to watch: whether the revived freestyle series produces a new breakout act, and how much the O2 show raises for the trust set up in Edwards' name.
