Death by Fame on ID: Who was Jam Master Jay?

The American musician and DJ, Jam Master Jay, was found shot in the head at 24/7 Studio in Queens on October 30, 2002. The shooting at the recording studio took place under unknown circumstances, which led the case to turn cold for over two decades.

Jay, originally known as Jason Mizell, grew up closely associated with music and played at the church. Upon his graduation from school, he joined the influential hip-hop group Run-DMC with Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels. Jay went on to establish his record label, which folded after his murder in 2002.

The Death by Fame season 2, episode 5, titled Off the Record, showcases the murder of Jam Master Jay. The episode airs on March 11, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery and the synopsis reads,

"Jam Master Jay, best known as Run-DMC's DJ, becomes a hip-hop legend; his life is cut short when he's executed in his recording studio; an exclusive interview with an eyewitness sheds light on this decades-old cold case."

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Who was Jam Master Jay and why was he popular?

Jason William Mizell was born on January 21, 1965, to parents Jesse Mizell and Connie Thompson Mizell in New York City, United States. Jason started playing trumpet at three and eventually mastered the bass, guitar, and drums. He played at his church before he found turntablism, after which he started DJing when he was 13.

While Jay was involved in petty crimes and residential burglaries as a teenager, a confrontation with an armed security guard stopped his spree, and he turned to music. Jason learned to crossfade from DJ Def Lou Hauck while in Atlantic City.

Jason completed his education at Andrew Jackson High School in New York City's Queens. In 1982, he joined Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels. He went on to play live drums, keyboards, and bass aside from adding his turntable work to the band's productions. In 1983, the trio released It's Like That, their first single. They also released a remake of Aerosmith's Walk this Way in the year 1986.

He soon assumed the stage name Jam Master Jay. Mizell established Jam Master Jay Records in 1989, and thereupon, signed 50 Cent and Onyx. However, his record label closed shop following the 2002 murder of Jason Mizell.

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What happened to Jam Master Jay?

Jason Mizell (37), professionally known as Jam Master Jay, was found shot to death in the head on October 30, 2002, per CNN. According to the police, he was shot around 7:30 p.m. local time at 24/7 Studio, a recording studio, on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens. Another man who survived, Urieco Rinco (25) was also present on the premises and was shot in the ankle.

Ronald Washington was named as a suspect by federal prosecutors in April 2007, per a Today report. He was identified as the second gunman while the accomplice was later reportedly identified as Karl Jordan. Ronald Washington was also suspected to have played a part in the 1995 fatal shooting of Randy Walker, an associate of Tupac Shakur.

According to ABC7, Washington threatened one of the individuals at gunpoint and asked him to lie on the floor. Jordan approached Mizell and fired two shots - one which killed him and the other stuck the ankle of Rinco.

Jay was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York.