Hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay’s murder has remained unsolved modern rap lore for nearly 20 years. Jason Mizell, best known for his role in the trailblazing hip-hop trio Run-DMC, was killed the night before Halloween in 2002, in his Jamaica, Queens recording studio. That night, two masked men entered the building, and one fatally shot Mizell in the head. Since then, despite the not-so-quiet speculation surrounding the murky details of the legendary DJ’s death, the case remained unsolved for nearly two decades. Now, two men, believed to have been Mizell’s former associates, have been arrested in connection with Jay’s murder.
According to separate law enforcement officials who each spoke to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity, federal prosecutors charged Ronald Washington, 56, and Karl Jordan Jr., 36, believed to be drug traffickers, with murder. While law enforcement has yet to officially detail the two mens’ involvement, investigators believe Mizell was financing the alleged drug-trafficking operation, and eventually the arrangement went south. According to one quoted official, “There was a beef—it didn’t go as planned.” Washington is already serving a federal prison sentence for robbery, while Jordan, who had previously been incarcerated for shooting Jay’s cousin, rapper Little Dee, in 2003, was taken into custody again on August 16.
Jam Master Jay was much more than just the beats behind Run-DMC’s barrier-breaking campaign. Outside of his work with Rev Run and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Jam Master Jay was a paragon of New York’s scratch selectors scene, founding Scratch DJ Academy and his own label, while rising up to champion local talent in the city including 50 Cent and others.
H/T: New York Times
Source: dancingastronaut.com
