A man who killed the schoolboy Jimmy Mizen has been recalled to prison following reports he is a drill rapper being promoted by the BBC.
It has emerged that Jake Fahri, now 35, is masked drill artist TEN – who was showcased on BBC 1Xtra – and reportedly published rap music about murdering 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen, with the probation service launching an investigation into the content.
Keir Starmer has voiced deep concerns, while the culture secretary pledged to have a discussion with the public service broadcaster, and Jimmy’s father said the case raises a number of questions about the prison system.
Fahri served 14 years in prison after he was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 14 years in 2009 for the boy’s murder.
The 35-year-old, then 19, threw an oven dish at Jimmy, which shattered and severed blood vessels in the teenager’s neck, at a south London bakery on 10 May the previous year. Witnesses reported seeing Fahri swaggering from the shop with a smile.
Recall was initiated for Fahri on Thursday after he was found to have breached his licence conditions, the Probation Service confirmed on Friday.
The move comes after the Sun reported Fahri is really TEN and that one of the balaclava-clad rapper’s tracks, available on Spotify and YouTube, appears to reference Jimmy’s death.
TEN’s lyrics included the lines: “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 published by TEN 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.”
Fahri was released on licence in June 2023 and his music was played on BBC 1Xtra less than 18 months later, the Sun reported, adding that DJ Theo Johnson named him an “up-and-coming star”.
The prime minister’s spokesman said HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is right to be investigating the content as a priority, and added: “When it comes to the BBC, obviously they are independent of Government, they make their own editorial decisions.
“But the BBC, I think the public would rightly expect given their unique responsibilities to the public, that they would take complaints and any allegations like these seriously.”
Sir Keir was said to be “deeply concerned at the situation” and “the significant additional stress that this will have caused to the family”, his official spokesman added.
Lisa Nandy offered her “heartfelt condolences” to Jimmy’s family.
Agreeing that TEN’s music should no longer be played, she told LBC: “I think it’s deeply difficult and insensitive for the family.
“This is a discussion that I will have with the BBC, but I think it’s right that we, that we take action on that and make sure that we all get this right.”
She added: “I think this is a horrendous case, and obviously I think the BBC in particular will want to reflect on the featuring of the person who killed him.”
Jimmy’s father Barry Mizen said parole statements stated Fahri had “done all the programmes” but that “doesn’t seem to have made a blind bit of difference”.
“I think it does strike quite a few questions about the whole [prison] system – what’s the point, you know?” he said, adding: “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.”
A Probation Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Jimmy Mizen’s family who deserve better than to see their son’s murderer shamelessly boasting about his violent crime.
“All offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions.
“As this case shows, we will recall them to prison if they break the rules.”
The BBC said in a statement: “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.”
HMPPS said of TEN’s lyrics: “We are aware of this content and are investigating it as a priority.
“We take any material that could glorify violence or distress victims extremely seriously.”
