Jam Master Jay

Jam Master Jay
Jam Master Jay in 1985
Jam Master Jay in 1985
Background information
Birth nameJason William Mizell
Also known as
  • DJ Jazzy Jase
  • Jam Master Funk
Born(1965-01-21)January 21, 1965
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
OriginQueens, New York City, U.S.
DiedOctober 30, 2002(2002-10-30) (aged 37)
Queens, New York City, U.S.
Cause of deathMurder (gunshot wound)
Genres
Occupations
  • Disc jockey
  • record producer
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • turntables
Years active1983–2002
Labels
Formerly ofRun-D.M.C.
Websitejasonmizell.com

Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-DMC. During the 1980s, Run-DMC became one of the biggest hip hop groups and are credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music.[1][2] Mizell was murdered in his Queens, New York recording studio in 2002.

  1. ^ "The 50 albums that changed music", No. 40: Run D.M.C.: Run D.M.C. (1984), The Observer, July 16, 2006.
  2. ^ The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 48) Run–DMC. Rolling Stone. Published April 15, 2004.