On October 30th, 2002, Jason Mizell, better known as Jam Master Jay,DJ of the now Rock & Roll Hip-Hop Hall of Fame rap group Run-DMC, was gunned down in his recording studio in South Jamaica, Queens.
I remember being numb upon hearing about it. My brother called me from Hollis. I turned on the news and saw Lyor
Cohen, who used to road manage for all of us when he first came to Rush Productions, but by then was a powerful industry executive, was crying like a baby! He obviously was close to Jay, and Run, and DMC, who, ironically, were not as close as they used to be.
Again, I was numb!
I remember talking to Public Enemy's Chuck D. I told him I didn't know what to feel! I recalled when Freaky Tah of the Lost Boys was gunned down and speaking with Mista Cheeks who had just done a collabo with me.
I'm like, "Ok, this is bullshit!. What the fuck is going on with this Hip-Hop Glock mentality?"
Thus, a song was born.
"It used to be about fame, money and chicks/Now it's all haters, gats, sets and clicks" was the beginning of the hook I wrote.
I played the rough demo for Chuck D. He thought the lyrics were cool. I wanted to finish the mix and put it our right away.
Again, I was still numb...and after thinking about it, I thought it would feel and look like I was exploiting a friends death. Jay and I were mutually respectful of each other, though we weren't drinking buddies or anything. I watched him start off with a bad show at Empire Roller Rink in Brooklyn, where the turntable jumped, and made the record skip. This was the summer of 1984. Run, seeing Jay with his head down, gave one of the more inspirational speeches I had ever heard, and reminded Jay that they had two more shows to do that night. Jay picked his head up, and from that moment on, was JAM MASTER JAY, one of the all time most incredible DJ's ever. Run picked him up, and Jay never let them down. In a sense, Jay became the leader of the group, sort of like a catcher does for a baseball team, or a drummer for a band.
That all ended, October, 2002.
The death of Hip-Hop.
Right before our eyes!
I am doing my farewell album to Hip-Hop. "Haters, Gats, Sets & Clicks", the song I wrote right after Jay's death will finally be released.
RIP JMJ
We miss you!
