Jam Master Jay

Jam Master Jay
Jam Master Jay
	Jam Master Jay in 1985
Background information
Birth name	Jason William Mizell
Also known as	DJ Jazzy Jase; Jam Master Funk;
Born	January 21, 1965; Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Died	October 30, 2002 (aged 37); Queens, New York City, U.S.
Cause of death	Murder (gunshot wound)
Genres	Hip hop; golden age hip hop; rap rock;
Occupation(s)	Disc jockey; record producer; musician;
Instruments	Vocals; turntables;
Years active	1983–2002
Labels	JMJ; Profile;
Formerly of	Run-D.M.C.
Website	jasonmizell.com

Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-DMC. During the 1980s, Run-DMC became one of the biggest hip hop groups and are credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music.^[1]^[2]

Mizell was murdered in his Queens, New York recording studio in a 2002 shooting that remained cold until two perpetrators were arrested in 2020. In 2024, both perpetrators were found guilty of murdering Mizell and face between 20 years to life in prison. A third suspect in the murder was also arrested in 2023 and is awaiting trial.

^ "The 50 albums that changed music", No. 40: Run D.M.C.: Run D.M.C. (1984), The Observer, July 16, 2006.
^ The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 48) Run–DMC. Rolling Stone. Published April 15, 2004.

[1] "The 50 albums that changed music", No. 40: Run D.M.C.: Run D.M.C. (1984), The Observer, July 16, 2006.

[stone-2] The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 48) Run–DMC. Rolling Stone. Published April 15, 2004.

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