A drill rapper who had his music promoted by the BBC is being investigated following reports that his lyrics glorify a murder he was convicted of.
Jake Fahri was given a life sentence in 2009 with a minimum term of 14 years for killing 16-year-old schoolboy Jimmy Mizen by throwing an oven dish at him.
The glass dish shattered and severed blood vessels in Jimmy’s neck in a south London bakery on 10 May 2008. Witnesses reported seeing Fahri swaggering from the shop with a smile.
The Sun newspaper has claimed that Fahri, now 35 and no longer in prison, is masked drill artist TEN who was showcased on BBC 1Xtra – with DJ Theo Johnson saying he “really stands out”.
In one of TEN’s tracks available on Spotify and YouTube, the rapper appears to reference Jimmy’s death.
His lyrics include: “Stuck it on a man and watched him melt like Ben and Jerry’s. Sharpen up my blade I’ve got to keep those necessary.
“Stay alert and kept it ready, any corner could be deadly. Judge took a look at me, before the trial even started he already knows he’s gonna throw the book at me.”
Another track says: “See a man’s soul fly from his eyes and his breath gone.”
It adds: “I wanted more, it made it less wrong. Seeing blood spilled same floor he was left on.”
HM Prison and Probation Service has confirmed it is investigating the content as a priority.
The BBC said the rapper’s song containing the lyrics printed by The Sun was not played on its platforms.
Jimmy’s father, Barry Mizen, said that parole statements stated that Fahri has “done all the programmes” but that “doesn’t seem to have made a blind bit of difference”.
He added: “I think it does strike quite a few questions about the whole [prison] system – what’s the point, you know?”
“I think there’s some questions there certainly for the parole board.
“We hope they’ve made the right decision, only time will tell, and perhaps they haven’t made the right decision.”
Jimmy’s parents Barry and Margaret Mizen made headlines for their positivity in the wake of the murder.
They said it was “absolutely right” to forgive their son’s young killer but said they would never meet him.
In 2018, Ms Mizen said at a memorial service for Jimmy’s death: “I feel it was absolutely right in my heart to forgive him because by forgiving him I’m able to do all the things I want to do, it allows me to look out the window and see the sun shining and the flowers blossoming.
“If I didn’t, it would fill me with so much hate that I wouldn’t be able to do these things.
“I do forgive him, but I forgive him for myself.
“Wouldn’t it be better if there was much more forgiveness in this world?”
A BBC spokesperson said: “This individual does not feature on any BBC playlists, we have never played – as we pointed out to The Sun – the lyrics they have printed.
“He’s had two other tracks played twice. 1Xtra has no further plans to play his music, we were not aware of his background and we in no way condone his actions.”
