Jam Master Jay

Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician, record producer 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, credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music. Mizell was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Run-DMC in 2009. Mizell was murdered in his Queens recording studio in 2002 and his case was left unsolved until February 2024, when Ronald Washington and his godson Karl Jordan Jr., were convicted for the 2002 drug-related murder, with a third man, Jay Bryant, pleading guilty in 2026 to participating in the murder.[edit]

Tributes poured in from peers including Run-DMC members Darryl McDaniels and Joseph Simmons, who expressed deep grief over the loss of their musical partner, while fan vigils were held outside Jam Lab Studios in Queens where supporters gathered to leave flowers. The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 PM on October 30, 2002, inside Mizell's recording studio located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, where he was found unresponsive by a staff member slumped over his mixing board. The investigation into the murder spanned nearly two decades before leading to arrests, initially focusing on a motive linked to a past drug debt rather than a robbery gone wrong or personal dispute.

On April 24, 2019, the NYPD announced the arrest of Anthony Green and William Young, who were charged with first-degree murder for killing Mizell to collect a $20,000 drug debt owed by a third party. A significant legal development reported in 2024 saw a third suspect, Jay Bryant, plead guilty to the murder, effectively closing the investigative chapter that had plagued the family for over 20 years. A private funeral service was held for Jason Mizell shortly after his death in November 2002, with details regarding the specific location of the burial kept private to protect the family's privacy.

Over the years, his legacy has been honored through streaming surges of Run-DMC's catalog, particularly after major anniversaries of his death, and the creation of murals in Queens dedicated to his contributions to hip-hop culture. Posthumously, the estate has been managed with a focus on preserving his legacy, with Run-DMC continuing to perform and acknowledge his contribution while the estate remains under the control of his surviving family members.[edit]