Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay Shot Dead In New York Recording Studio

NEW YORK (RUN DMC Fans Website) - Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay was shot and killed inside a New York recording studio on Wednesday (Oct. 30) evening, according to a spokesperson for the New York City Police. He was 37.

Jay - real name Jason Mizell - was shot in the head at close range with a .45 caliber weapon inside the lounge of a studio on Merrick Blvd., in Queens, near where the DJ grew up. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim, identified as Uriel Rincon, 25, was shot in the leg and transferred to Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica, Queens, where he is recovering from his wound.

As of press time on Thursday (Oct. 31), no arrests had been made in the shooting. As policy, police would not comment on the progress of the investigation, although two unidentified men are believed to be involved in the shooting.

Mizell was a founding member of pioneering rap group Run-DMC, which he helped form with Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) in 1981. From behind the turntables, Mizell provided the soundscape to Run and DMC's raps and became one of the first DJs to become a household name.

Run-DMC is widely credited with bringing underground hip-hop to the mainstream, paving the way for countless groups to follow. The trio enjoyed a slew of legendary hip-hop hits, including "King of Rock," "It's Like That," "My Adidas," "You Be Illin'," and "It's Tricky." The trio, along with rock group Aerosmith, also became one of the first acts to merge hip-hop and rock on a 1986 remake of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," on which the latter's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler were guests.

Run-DMC's last studio album, 1999's Crown Royal, expanded on that trend and included collaborations with Third Eye Blind's Shephan Jenkins, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, Kid Rock, and members of Sugar Ray, among others. BMG Heritage released a greatest hits compilation in September.

Sadly, Mizell is merely the latest high-profile victim of violence in the hip-hop world. Rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. were gunned down in 1996 and 1997, respectively, among others. Both of those crimes remain unsolved.
Mizell is survived by a wife and three children.