Rock and Pop: Interview with SBTV's Rick Tank
Published: 18 August, 2011
by ROISIN GADELRAB
IT started out as one teenager, a video camera that had been a Christmas present, some MC connections and a fox.
Now online youth broadcaster SBTV, situated in an understated office in the basement of Camden Town
Unlimited’s buildings in Mornington Crescent, is giving MTV – at the other end of the high street – cause for concern.
Name any UK music talent, and quite possibly a number of high-profile artists from the US, and founder Jamal Edwards is likely to have them on speed dial.
In the short time since it began, SBTV has built up 60 million YouTube hits, 35,000 Twitter followers, and 90,000 subscribers – and the people behind this success are all 25 or under.
Alicia Keyes, Keri Hilson, Wretch 32, Devlin, Cher Lloyd, Bruno Mars, Wiz Khalifa, Kelly Rowland – the list of stars who have appeared on the channel equal the calibre of those on MTV.
The company made its name when young grime MC Jamal was given a video camera for Christmas. His first video was of a fox, which gained so many YouTube hits, it inspired him to make others.
He went on to film MCs he knew on their own turf, capturing them rapping straight to camera – no agenda, no frills.
His early coverage captured the likes of Chipmunk freestyling on his own estate, and Devlin and Ed Sheeran before they were signed.
“It was just going on and shooting the artists, it wasn’t trying to be any more than that, it was just them and their estate,” said music producer Rick Tank, one of the channel’s directors, and, at 25, the oldest of the team.
“The beauty of it was that it was people on their estates. We’ve become an A&R’s homepage.
“We’re young, there’s nobody behind us, kudos to the team.
“Jamal’s a really popular guy. As time goes by he’s become more and more known. He’s the person people go to if they want to know about youth and teen music. It’s amazing to do something like this from nothing.”
Jamal is known to work all hours and still lives with his mum, former X Factor contestant Brenda Edwards.
SBTV’s early archive footage has become more valuable as the artists filmed have grown in stature.
It has branched out into production, editorial and social enterprises, such as filming Devlin for a Childline campaign, and expanding into music video production.
Rick, who spoke to Grooves straight off set from filming Cher Lloyd’s new video, said: “It’s an organic thing.
“Everybody got involved for the love of it. We’ve got bloggers, film-makers, business people, a whole mix.”
He said new people were brought in through connections and word of mouth.
Presenter Georgia LA (pictured on the Review cover with Jessie J), who grew up in Camden Town, was recruited by Jamal through Twitter.
SBTV specialises in a number of series, from F64, in which MCs, known and unknown, record 64 bars of freestyle grime; A64, which has included acoustic sessions from the likes of Eliza Doolittle, Dappy and Maverick Sabre; and Inspiration Season, a more philanthropic angle, aimed at promoting youth empowerment.
One of the channel’s most recent projects is SBTV DB8. Taking the riots as a starting point, it encourages youth involvement through discussion, Facebook and YouTube uploads. Labour leader Ed Miliband has even tweeted about it.
They recently interviewed Alicia Keyes at the Roundhouse, have filmed a number of artists in the borough and are working on some top-secret projects due to be revealed soon.
• Watch SBTV at http://sbtv.co.uk