[url=http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_103102_jay.html]Jam Master Jay, Run DMC's innovative DJ, Dies At 37[/url]

(Jamaica, Queens-WABC, October 31, 2002) — Are the rappers back at it? Late Wednesday night, Jam Master Jay from the rap group Run DMC was gunned down execution style. It happened during a recording session in Queens. Now, police are searching for the killer as the rap community mourns the loss of another rapper. Jeff Rossen reports.
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The gunman, it appears, was hunting Jam Master Jay down and found him last night. The two suspects buzzed themselves into a recording studio. Then they went up to the second floor-recording studio where Jam Master Jay was working with a group. They pushed another singer aside just to get a clear shot. They shot Jam Master Jay once in the head and he was killed instantly.

Jam Master Jay was 37-years-old. His real name is Jason Mizell. He grew up in Hollis, Queens. He was a man who took center stage with a master-style on the turntables with an art called "scratching".

The music, the innovation, that made him a star all died last night when a man was buzzed into his second floor-recording studio on Merrick Boulevard.

By one account, the gunman came into the studio lounge, and pushed aside another singer to get a clear shot. He fired at least twice hitting Jay in the head and killing him instantly.

A second man was wounded but police say ricocheting bullets may have hit him.

After the shooting, fans and friends gathered outside in the rain crying, and mourning together. Fellow rappers like Dr. Dre and Chuck D were there. Mizell was a popular man. He was always upbeat in his public appearances.

Run DMC was the first rap group nominated for a Grammy. They were also the first rap group to sell more than a million albums and the first to crack Billboard's top ten.

He will certainly be missed by a lot of people and music fans in New York and nationwide. Fans were coming to the building where the shooting occurred all night and putting up signs and flowers for Jam Master Jay.

Police are still looking for the shooter and witnesses got a very sketchy description of him. He is described as a young, black male. He was wearing either a white sweatsuit or a white sweatshirt.

Right now, police have no hard leads in this case and no suspects in custody.

[red]If you don't like the music, and/or have problems with the ethinic group, please post it somewhere else.  I've met all three of these guys (Run, DMC, and Jay) and they all seemed to be nice people, down to earth, not you're ganga smoking, "whitie" hating type.[/red]

That's a shame...

Hopefully this will not turn into another East Coast, West Coast tradeoff.

I'm not a huge rap fan (especially not gangsta rap), but I like Run DMC.  Jam Master Jay will be missed.

Run DMC started it all. They were the very first rap group to cross over to mainstream. They were never really into gangbanging and typically put out a positive message without the degenerate lyrics of today's rap. True pioneers and visionary artists.

Who would have ever thought that just yelling the lyrics of Walk This Way into the mic would set off a whole new generation of artistry?

Pourin' out a 40 for ya Jay. RIP.

Sounds like a hit.

It's enevitable.

I don't have anything against these people,

but if you act like a criminal threatening everyone and everything, act like hard asses all the time, rap violent lyrics all the time, and believe your some cop killin' chillin' illin' gansta... You just gotta know this is going to happen.

Too many people want to be hard core gansta's these days.

That's the thing about this, RUN DMC were not hip hopping ganstas.  They didn't rap about violence, most of their songs were about unity (anyone remember the Run DMC christmas album?) and helped prevent a gang war during the 80's.  The other wierd thing is it's benn probably at least 10 to 15 years since these guys have done anything.  

In addition, I don't beleive Run DMC was ever involved in the East coast-West coast rivlaries or disputes.  They seemed like decent people that made music that was innovative and interesting at the time.  I'm curious to hear what this was all about.  Hopefully not just some punk trying to be cool or impress his girlfriend. [:(]

(C)RAP. The music of peace, love and understanding.

Gonna miss him. Back when rap was actually interesting.

[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0MgAAAGUPUncW3M4kHBQzRPei7yV01!l!inqgYGrPrb1pin9iDRyy5f7EDf1Fr6pTv3rKoGB43tk*LWGa*RhnXA/001ar4.JPG[/img]

its sad to see such a positive member of the black community lost, he was a pioneer, and helped take rap to the next level with the introduction of rap/rock music

And WHY couldn't it have been:

Eminem
Vanilla Ice
Dr. Dre
Snoop Doggy Dog
Puff Daddy
DMX

or any of the other gangsta wanna be screeching idiots who profess to be rappers these days?

That's a huge shame. Run-DMC were great. I remember when rap first got started it wasn't about all this "gangsta" garbage. It started out as a street expression that was able to expand into popular media and from there to popular culture. The problem that started with the "gangsta" style of the genre seems to have reached out. While, I have no personal knowledge of any of them, the relationship that he had with some of the more notorious members of the community may have something to do with it.

Regardless of why, the industry has lost one of it's better members.

[sleep]

Obliviously you know nothing about Run DMC.  They were nothing close to the gangster rappers.  And had nothing to do with the silly East vs. West feud.  They were one of the few rap groups with talent and vision.