I will not let killer drill rapper Jake Fahri beat me…but today I still feel like crying, says Jimmy Mizen’s brave mum
THE campaigning mum of stabbed teen Jimmy Mizen has vowed she will not be beaten by his killer’s sick raps glorifying violence.
Margaret said the lyrics spat out by Jake Fahri made her even more determined to warn youngsters about the dangers of knife crime.
She also showed The Sun a montage of pictures dedicated to Jimmy in the front room of her home — less than 500 yards from where the 16-year-old was killed.
Margaret, 72 — made an MBE in 2013 for her work promoting peace — insisted: “For me and my family, we will continue to do what we do.
“We will bring some good out of Jimmy’s death. I will not be beaten by this man. But that’s not to say that I don’t feel like crying today.
“We share the right messages — forgiveness, peace and hope.”
We told yesterday how the lyrics of drill rapper Fahri, 35, also known as TEN, seem to contain bloodthirsty references to the 2008 murder which shocked Britain.
He was freed from jail in 2023 after serving 14 years of a life sentence for Jimmy’s murder.
Margaret spoke to us yesterday standing in front of the poignant collection of almost 100 photos of Jimmy — put together by his aunt shortly after his death — at her home in Lee, South East London.
Fighting back tears, Margaret said of the tribute: “She wanted to do something for Jimmy. She didn’t know what, so she asked us to get all our photos together, and this is what she came up with. In the early days, I was thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I feel like I’ve lost all my photos’.
“But the more it’s there, it’s beautiful. It shows Jimmy for what Jimmy was — a really lovely boy.
“You know, you look at all the photos, he’s smiling because he was always happy. It’s just comforting. Jimmy is comforting. It reminds me that Jimmy will be forever young.
“He’ll never change from that photo. I see lots of Jimmy’s friends grown up — adults with children. He will always be forever young.”
Margaret went on: “Jimmy’s life was just a fabulous 16 years.
“In all that time, I’d never had to tell him off.
“He would come in from school with the biggest smile on his face.
“He’d done painting jobs, gardening jobs, he wanted to help people.
“When Jimmy was killed, there was a carpet left around the corner. It belonged to the local homeless man and we didn’t know why it was there, but Jimmy used to give this man money and food, and this carpet was actually his bed.
“He left it for Jimmy. Jimmy used to light up the room when he came in. The teachers loved him. He had lots of friends. He was respected.
“If anyone was being bullied, they would go to Jimmy.
“The day that he lost his life, for me, he became this angel.”
Margaret praised our investigation into Fahri and questioned how he was “allowed to get as far as he has” in releasing his vile drill tunes.
She said of his lyrics — which appear to reference the savage attack on her son: “With those words he is probably referencing Jimmy, but he will say he’s not.”
Millwall fan and former altar boy Jimmy was attacked at a bakery by Fahri, then aged 19, who had gone in and started an argument.
Jimmy used to light up the room when he came in. The teachers loved him. He had lots of friends. He was respected
Margaret Mizen
The wannabe gangster hurled a Pyrex dish at 6ft 4in Jimmy, severing an artery and killing him.
He pleaded not guilty to murder but was convicted after a two-week trial at the Old Bailey in 2009.
His budding music career began after the Parole Board released him on licence in May 2023.
On his track Dispersal, Fahri brazenly raps: “Never understood a life ’til you took a life.”
In a sick clip on TikTok, he says: “Stuck it on a man and watched him melt like Ben and Jerry’s.”
And in another of his seven released songs, he raps: “Ever see a man’s soul fly from his eyes and his breath gone?
If anyone was being bullied, they would go to Jimmy. The day that he lost his life, for me, he became this angel
Margaret Mizen
“S***, I wanted more, it made it less wrong. Seeing blood spilt, same floor he was left on.”
Margaret told us: “Jimmy wasn’t left on the floor. Jimmy, bless him, was so scared he hid in a cupboard and his last breath was in a cupboard in a pool of blood.
“But it doesn’t matter whether he’s talking about Jimmy or not.
“They are terrible words for anyone and for our young people to have to hear them.
“I think Fahri is just trying to make himself look like a celebrity. He is beyond words. I pray with all my heart, this doesn’t do that.
“He should be ashamed of himself, and I’m sure his parents, I like to think, are ashamed of him too.
I think Fahri is just trying to make himself look like a celebrity. He is beyond words. He should be ashamed of himself, and I’m sure his parents, I like to think, are ashamed of him too
Margaret Mizen
“It’s about what this is doing to our young people. They’re hearing it. They’re glamorising it.”
“I go to schools all the time. I’m in a primary school today and we need to do all we can to encourage young people not to give them the tools to go out and commit these crimes because they think it’s fun, without realising it destroys lives.
“Jake Fahri might not think his life is destroyed, but it is.
“I describe him in schools always as a bit of a thug, because that’s what he is, and it sounds to me like he’s an even greater thug now.”
Margaret has also demanded the BBC, which promoted Fahri’s music, implement better vetting procedures for anonymous rappers.
Radio 1Xtra featured two songs on Theo Johnson’s BBC Introducing show last year.
We will bring some good out of Jimmy’s death. I will not be beaten by this man. But that’s not to say that I don’t feel like crying today
Margaret Mizen
Margaret said: “They have questions to answer.
“They need to really look deep into what’s going on on their radio channels. And I think they need to stand up and be a voice for change and stop these things.”
The BBC previously denied airing songs featuring lyrics which glorified the murder.
They have also banned Fahri’s music.
In contrast to the Mizen family’s message of peace, Fahri’s father yesterday threatened reporters.
Mustafa, 59, told The Sun to “f*** off” at the home he shares with wife Shirley in South East London.
Fahri has refused to respond to requests for a comment.
- THE Mizen Foundation encourages youngsters to be peacemakers in their communities instead of turning to crime.
- Millwall FC hosts its annual Jimmy’s Day fundraiser on February 1.
- You can donate at www.mizenfoundation.org.