Prison Has Not Changed BBC-Backed Rapper Who Glorified Schoolboy Murder
The father of a murder victim criticizes the rapper’s release and the BBC’s role in promoting his music
Jimmy Mizen, Jake Fahri, BBC, London, Drill Music
London: A father is heartbroken over the release of a rapper who once glorified the murder of his son. Barry Mizen is speaking out about Jake Fahri, who killed his son, Jimmy, back in 2008.
Fahri was sentenced to life in prison but was released after serving 15 years. Now, he’s reinvented himself as a drill artist named TEN, and his music has even been featured on BBC 1Xtra. Barry is understandably upset, saying it seems like prison didn’t change him at all.
In one of his songs, Fahri seems to reference Jimmy’s death, which has left Barry questioning the parole board’s decision. He wonders what the point of prison is if it doesn’t lead to real change.
Barry mentioned that while some inmates show remorse, it doesn’t seem to apply to Fahri. The Ministry of Justice is now looking into the situation, and the BBC is facing scrutiny for promoting his music without knowing his background.
Fahri’s lyrics are pretty graphic, and while they’re censored on the radio, the unedited versions are still out there online. Barry feels the BBC should have done a better job checking the content before airing it.
Despite the pain, Barry and his wife, Margaret, continue to spread messages of forgiveness and hope. They’re not looking to attack Fahri but want to highlight the importance of addressing violence in music.
Barry’s message is clear: promoting violence isn’t right, and he hopes the public and media take this seriously moving forward.