| Jaz-O | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Jonathan Burks |
|
Also known as |
The Jaz, Big Jaz, The Originator |
|
Born |
4 October 1964 |
|
Genre |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper, record producer |
|
Years active |
1986-present |
|
Label |
EMI, Kingz Kounty Entertainment, Red Line Music Distribution, Inc., Sony, Tommy Boy |
|
Associated acts |
The Immobilarie, Jay-Z, Sauce Money |
Jonathan Burks (born 4 October 1964), better known by his stage names Jaz-O and The Jaz, is an American rapper and record producer active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, best known for being the mentor of Jay-Z. Jaz-O experienced success with his 1989 single "Hawaiian Sophie" from his debut album Word to the Jaz. The song would mark the first time that Jaz-O and Jay-Z collaborated commercially, with Jay-Z later becoming a valuable contributor to Jaz-O's 1990 album To Your Soul.
He has been featured on Jay-Z's songs "Bring It On" and "Ain't No N****" from Reasonable Doubt, and "N**** What, N**** Who (Originator 99)" from Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, where he was credited as Big Jaz. He also produced the single "Ain't No N****" and the song "Rap Game/Crack Game" from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. The relationship between Jaz-O and Jay-Z saturated when Jay-Z tried to convince Jaz-O and fellow rapper Sauce Money to sign to Roc-A-Fella Records, with both rappers refusing. It is rumoured that they didn't sign to the label because they didn't trust Roc-A-Fella Records CEOs Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Jaz was an important figure in the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud, and it is also speculated that Jaz-O supplied Nas with some of the information he used in his Jay-Z diss track "Ether". Despite the long standing feud between mentor and protégé, Jay-Z still gives Jaz-O credit for his success, although he disses him at the same time.
Discography[]
- 1989: Word to the Jaz
- 1990: To Your Soul
- 2002: Kingz Kounty (with The Immobilarie)