| Jam Master Jay | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Jason William Mizell |
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Also known as |
DJ Jazzy Jase, Jam Master Funk |
|
Born |
21 January 1965 |
|
Died |
30 October 2002 (aged 37) |
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Genre(s) |
|
|
Occupations |
Disc jockey, producer |
|
Years active |
1983-2002 |
|
Labels |
Jam Master Jay, Profile |
|
Associated acts |
50 Cent, Chuck D, Onyx, Run-D.M.C., Flatlinerz, Black Child |
Jason William Mizell (21 January 1965 - 30 October 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American hip hop musician and rapper. He was best known as being the DJ for influential hip hop group Run-D.M.C., although he also produced and performed on some of the group's songs. During the 1980s, Run-D.M.C. became the most successful hip hop group at the time and are credited for breaking hip hop into the mainstream.
When the group's members began to work on their own careers, Mizell founded the record label JMJ Records, which achieved the most success with signees Onyx in the early 1990s. In 1996, Mizell discovered 50 Cent and taught him how to create songs.
On 30 October 2002, while recording new music at his studio in Jamaica, Queens, New York, Mizell was shot and murdered by an unknown assailant.