Margaret Mizen slammed the violent music glorifying crime, drugs and gang life after her son’s killer, Jake Fahri, released a song which made specific references to the murder
A grief-stricken mum begged children at a primary school yesterday to embrace “forgiveness, peace and hope” – rather than “words of murder ” – following her son’s brutal killing.
Margaret Mizen, 72, blasted drill rap for glorifying crime, drugs and gang life as Jake Fahri released a song which made specific references to the murder of Jimmy Mizen. Hours after Fahri, also known as TEN, was recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions, Ms Mizen called for more regulation over drill rap’s violent lyrics.
Speaking at a primary school on Friday, she told children: “They’re not songs. Are they? They’re words. The words in them, they’re actually dreadful and if it’s a way of making a living, they should be ashamed of themselves.
“We and my family will always spread the same message, and that’s one of forgiveness, peace and hope. I use those words because they’re really important to me, and that’s something we’re going to continue through our charity. Maybe someone could do a song about forgiveness, peace and hope. It’s much better to have these good words than words of murder.”
Fahri was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years for the murder of Jimmy but he was released on license in June 2023. His music was played on BBC 1Xtra recently, it was reported this week.
Margaret, now a peace campaigner who was made an MBE in 2013, said: “I’d like him to show remorse, and for the Parole Board to look into it properly. Clearly, Jake’s not showing remorse.
“I think it goes without saying anything that promotes murder, promotes knives, promotes drugs, it shouldn’t be allowed. That’s what Jake was doing — he was encouraging crime.”
Fahri was 19 when he killed Jimmy by throwing an oven dish at him in a south London bakery on May 10, 2008. The glass dish shattered and severed blood vessels in 16-year-old Jimmy’s neck but witnesses reported seeing Fahri swaggering from the shop with a smile.
Since then, drill music has gained in popularity and, between 2022 and 2023 the Met Police had 315 drill music videos removed from YouTube over fears of their violent content — up from 133 taken down the previous year. The Sun reports such violent drill music videos have been linked to a spate of murders in the past three years.
Jimmy’s dad Barry, who lives with Margaret in Lee, Southeast London, told the publication : “To us, there’s a message that we think is the right message, and that’s forgiveness, peace and hope. Clearly, this is an issue in society. It’s a daily occurrence. I think it’s quite scandalous — can anything be done?
“There’s a responsibility on all of us, of everybody who wants to see an improvement throughout our communities, to try and make that happen. That’s what drives us, and we certainly won’t stop doing it.”