RIP Jam Master Jay (January 21, 1965 - October 30, 2002)
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On October 30, it will have been a whole five years since Jam Master Jay was tragically shot dead at his recording studio in Queens, New York. It doesn't seem like that long ago.
One third of the pioneering rap group Run DMC, Jam Master Jay (born Jason Mizell) was one of the most respected and by most accounts one of the most-liked men in hip-hop. On the night before Halloween 2002, 37-year old Jason Mizell was at his recording studio in Queens, New York, when, according to some reports, two men were buzzed inside. Jay reportedly hugged one of the men, but moments later, guns were pulled and Jay was dead. Five years later, a substantial reward and an ongoing investigation have not yet brought Jay's killers to justice.
This week I headed down to that very studio with my MTV News family — Rahman, Bernard, Nick and Shaheem — to be the first cameras ever allowed into the former JMJ studios since his death.
William "The Mayor" Pittman and partner Erik "E" Jewel, two Queens natives who run the popular Hall of Fame Record Store on Jamaica Avenue, are now the new owners of JMJ's former studios — and despite the fact that they will be changing the name to Hall Of Fame Studios, don't worry, JMJ's legacy is in good hands. Even though the new owners are a year into their complete renovation of the studios, both men are fully aware of their responsibility, not just to JMJ and his family, but to hip-hop as well.
When they first got the keys to the studio, the place was a dilapidated mess. The police had come and gone, treating the studio solely as a crime scene as opposed to the former headquarters of a hip-hop legend, leaving wires exposed in the ceiling and walls, holes in the floor, JMJ's record collection scattered all over the place, and old DATS of Onyx, JMJ and even 50 Cent cast aside. The office where JMJ fell still had not been cleaned since the tragic night, leaving a pool of dried blood on the floor and blood splattered on the wall.
It was a strange feeling to stand in the very spot where he fell and to retrace the final moments of his life. But it was good to see that JMJ's legacy is being remembered and preserved, especially while other members of the community remain tight-lipped about the circumstances of this hip-hop pioneer's death.
The investigation continues....
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