[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]