Our continuing investigation into the still-unsolved murder of hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay brought us to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, recently. The forecast upon touchdown was cold and rainy, not terribly unlike the weather in Queens on that fateful night in October of 2002 when a bullet forever silenced the trailblazing DJ behind the legendary Run-DMC.

It was in Milwaukee that Jam Master Jay spent some of his final days. He came here to Brew City to visit Eric “Shake” James, one of his best friends and one of the only members of his inner circle who was not part of the hometown crew from Hollis, Queens.

Jay and “Shake” spent their days holed up in Shake’s home playing video games ("NFL2K" on SegaDreamcast was one of Jay’s faves) and their nights hitting local hot spots like the Velvet Room, where Jay would jump on the wheels and start spinning every chance he got, treating the local fans to some world-class scratching.

Shake gave us a guided tour, sharing with us a potentially explosive new piece of evidence that could shed light on a case that both local and federal investigators are still trying to solve some five and a half years on...

Led by Shake, we retraced the steps Jay took on his last visit here, stopping by first the Velvet Room and then some other favorite hangouts, including Kopp's burger joint and Playmakers, Jay’s sneaker shop of choice. The day ended at Shake’s house, where he showed us a treasure trove of never before seen personal memorabilia from his time on the road with Jay and Run-DMC, including Jay’s last backstage pass, from the Aerosmith / Kid Rock tour.

Then Shake showed us something real.

“This is a piece of Jay,” Shake said, “I’ve never been able to turn it on,” he said, handing us the keepsake. “Maybe you can...”

To find out what new piece of evidence Shake shared with us -- and intimate details of the last days of Jam Master Jay's life -- check back with MTVNews.com tomorrow.

When I agreed to do the shoot back in November, I did so with a vision to celebrate the life and legacy of JMJ, but also to bring this as-of-yet unsolved murder case back to the fore and to everyone's attention. At the time, I never knew how much of an impact this small three-minute piece, simply titled 'Jam Master Jay's Studio: An Exclusive Tour,' would have on not only the hip-hop community but on JMJ's family and friends as well.

On the five-year anniversary of the death of Jam Master Jay, the still unsolved murder case was in danger of becoming a cold case (much like the murder cases of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G) with authorities blaming a lack of co-operation from the Queens community, but more importantly the actual witnesses who were present in the studio when JMJ was shot.

Well, one day after the JMJ Studio Tour piece aired on MTV all around the world, we received a phone call from one of the key witnesses in the case — JMJ's childhood best friend and business partner, Randy Allen. Randy Allen was there in the studio the night that his best friend was shot, as was his sister Lydia Hall who worked as Jay's assistant, the studio engineer Mike B, an unnamed female singer and Jay's friend Tony Rincon who was playing computer games with Jay when he too was shot, in the leg.

Along with the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, the fatal shooting of JMJ completed the trinity of high-profile hip-hop murder cases that to this day remain unsolved. And much like the cases of Tupac and Biggie, a number of conspiracy theories have arisen over the years. Among the many rumours including the alleged involvement of convicted drug lord Kenneth 'Supreme' McGriff, some speculated that Jay was killed over money or perhaps even drugs, whilst others were quick to point the finger of blame at Randy Allen himself, suggesting that he was the puppet-master behind the murder with a plan to gain off insurance money.

Five years later, and with no closure to the case, these rumours continue to live on and as a result Randy Allen has found his life turned upside-down. From traveling the world with JMJ to rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in the business, a great deal has changed in Randy's life since the death of his best friend. In Randy Allen's mind, the industry blacklisted him years ago and to this day everywhere he goes, it doesn't take long for the whispers to start and on occasion, for his life to be threatened.

In fact, the first time Randy had ever gone out to a public event in almost five years was just last week at the JAM Awards here in NY where the reception was cold to say the least…

Over the past few weeks, the team and myself have been delving deep into the JMJ murder case, speaking to key witnesses and those closest to Jay. Look out for those in-depth interviews coming soon. Now, I'm not promising that we're going to go and solve the case — after all, that's the job of the police — but what we will make sure of is that the murder of Jam Master Jay is not forgotten and that it will not become yet another high-profile hip-hop murder case gone cold.

Keep it here and at mtvnews.com for full coverage of the ongoing JMJ murder case five years on and post your comments below.

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....