Music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards died of a heart attack after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner has concluded.
Edwards, a YouTube star who helped launch the careers of Ed Sheeran, Dave and Skepta, died in February aged 31.
An inquest at West London Coroner’s Court on Tuesday concluded that the cause of death was drug-related.
Assistant Coroner Ivor Collett said there was evidence of cocaine toxicity in Edwards’ body, as well as the presence of alcohol, which likely caused his death after he returned home from performing in Islington in the early hours of February 20th. .
The coroner’s report added: “After drinking some alcohol with a friend, his behavior changed and he became erratic and appeared paranoid, before collapsing and becoming unconscious. Attempts at resuscitation failed and life was pronounced extinct at 10.36”.
Edwards’ mother Brenda Edwards, a singer and Loose Women panellist, described him as “a beautiful and selfless person” in a statement read to the inquest.
He added: “Since growing up with his family in Acton, he made it his personal mission to open doors for others to walk through. To help people through life, love and laughter. And most importantly, just make people happy.”
In June, she revealed that her son’s death was drug-related, saying in a statement that she was in “shock” over the circumstances.
“Sadly, I have learned that the cause of Jamal’s devastating death was due to cardiac arrhythmia,” she said. “[This was] caused by taking recreational drugs and I myself wanted to address this to everyone who loved, admired and respected my son.”
Brenda Edwards said she hoped publicizing the circumstances of her son’s death could prevent other families from suffering a similar loss.
“These types of substances are extremely unpredictable, and we can only hope that this will encourage others to think carefully when faced with similar situations in the future,” he said. “His death has shown that any wrong decision on any occasion can have devastating consequences.”
Edwards, who founded pioneering online music platform SBTV in 2006, is credited with helping to launch the careers of a number of UK music stars including Stormzy and Jessie J. He also he was an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a charity run by the Prince of Wales, and in 2014 was made an MBE for services to music.
Sign up to First Edition, our free daily newsletter, every weekday morning at 7am BST
In February, Sheeran paid tribute to Edwards, writing on Instagram: “Jamal is my brother. His light shone so brightly. He only used it to shine on others and never asked for anything in return.
“I wouldn’t be here without him, professionally and personally. There will never be anything quite like what he is, but I’m so grateful to have existed within his orbit.”