NEW YORK — As police continue to search for suspects and a motive in the fatal shooting of hip-hop icon Jam Master Jay, the Run-DMC DJ is being remembered as a well-grounded pioneer who never lost touch with his roots.

Jay, born




"Jay's smile is what I already deeply miss. Jay's smile was a conversation." — Lyor Cohen, Island/Def Jam CEO


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Run-DMC
"Jam Master Jay"
Run-DMC
(Profile)


Run-DMC
"King Of Rock"
King Of Rock
(Profile)



Jason Mizell, was shot in the head at his Queens studio Wednesday night and died on the scene (see "Jam Master Jay, Run-DMC DJ, Killed In Shooting"). Another man, Uriel Rincon, was shot in the leg and was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Police said the shootings took place in the studio's lounge around 7:30 p.m. and involved two assailants. (Click here for recent photos of Jam Master Jay.)

Mizell died in the environment he loved. The DJ was as comfortable working behind the boards as he was behind a set of turntables. Besides influencing many of today's turntablists with scratch innovations, Jam Master Jay helped devise and produce many of Run-DMC's classic cuts, including "It's Tricky," "You Be Illin' " and "My Adidas."

"He was family to me," DMC said in a statement. "We grew up together. We ate together. We slept together. We laughed together. We lived two-thirds of our lives together. He made every DJ not want to use a DAT machine. He stuck to the true essence of what a DJ in a hip-hop performance should be. The whole music industry has lost a great talent. I always thought we would be together forever. I will truly miss him."

His fans and peers are feeling a void as well.

"For nearly 20 years, Run-DMC has been the closest thing to gospel artists that the contemporary music community has had," Def Jam Records founder Russell Simmons said in a statement Thursday (October 31). "They talked about God and their higher selves, the importance of staying away from drugs, and generally inspirational and uplifting subject matter. They represented everything good and positive about hip-hop."

"There wouldn't be no Run-DMC without Jam Master Jay," Fat Joe said Thursday morning. "What's really sad about the whole thing ... out of Run-DMC ... he was the one you'd see mostly in the 'hood. He had his studio smack dab in the middle of the 'hood in Queens, and he brought out groups like Onyx, kept working with young brothers, trying to get them off the street and put them on and make them blow up as rappers. To see somebody that's given back so much to the community get his life taken, that is terrible. It's probably gonna discourage other people who want to do what Jam Master Jay done."

"He's the heart and soul of Run-DMC," said Chuck D of Public Enemy, who were discovered by Jay. "It's almost like Charles Oakley diving for loose balls — it's not gonna show up on the stat sheet, but he's an executioner that made very few mistakes when it came down to a show. His scratches always had orchestration that didn't get in [Run and DMC's] way and always allowed them to shine. That takes a different skill level. He's a guy that goes around the world 80 million times, comes back and still works at the studio right there in Queens. That says it all right there."

"When we were down and out and in the depths, Jay and Run-DMC came along and said 'Come play on our record,' " the members of Aerosmith said in statement. Their collaborative video for "Walk This Way" help restart the Boston rock band's career and has become the second-most played video in MTV history. "Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay's gift to the world was a new kind of music for a whol

It's been nine years since the Biggie walked the Earth and his absence is most felt when looking at Hip-Hop's current landscape. Biggie was a true talent that raised the bar in Hip-Hop with the rare ability to rock any mic, any stage, any beat, and any crowd. He was blessed with skills that translated across state, cultural, and financial boundaries. Bigger than his name or frame, B.I.G. was larger than life. Imagine him here today and you can almost hear him say, "Man, things done changed!"

"His mother's heart [wouldn't be broken]." - Bonz Malone, hip-hop journalist

"People wouldn't be saying 'they're the best rappers since BIG died.'" - DJ Beverly Bond, DJ/Model

"Junior Mafia's career would have gone a whole different way, and we'd still be here together as one... one family like it was before." - Lil' Cease, Junior Mafia

"There would've been a Brooklyn Mint flagship store on 5th avenue, Notorious cologne, B.I.G.Bling watches by Jacob and Co., and Warning: The Video Game. There would have been Junior Mafia albums, volumes 2, 3, and 4; and "Ready to Live," the movie and so on and so on. " - Miss Info, hip-hop journalist

"Without competition, Jay-Z was allowed to build an empire... a monopoly, if you will. A Bad Boy label, with Biggie, would never have allowed that to happen so easily." - Adrian Vicente, fan

"Total would be back together." - Vita, Black Wall Street

"I probably would have worked with him more with Lil Kim and Junior Mafia." - Lord Finesse, DITC

"Jay-Z wouldn't have anyone to quote." - ibeblunt, SOHH

"There would more joints from my dog." - Mr. Cheeks, The Lost Boyz

"The Lox would still be signed to Bad Boy." - BK Mecca, SOHH

"Biggie and Faith celebrity makeover, just look at how incredible Fay looks now. Imagine if Hip-Hop's original royal couple had gone on some South Beach diet shit together? No disrespect to Faith's new beautiful family and her hubby Todd, but it would a been something to see." - Miss Info

"Big was the type of rapper that thrived off good music. He'd hear something hot and be determined to make something hotter. So he'd be at the top of his game right now. He lived off that energy to be the best." - Klepto, Junior Mafia

"I think the original Bad Boy roster would still be there cause Biggie was very influential on how things went down." - Kima, Total

"I'd have one more friend in the world." - Bonz Malone

"Fat Joe and Biggie would have made a Twins album. I was gonna sign to Bad Boy when Biggie died and we was going do an album together. That's when Atlantic signed me; they gave me my own label and stole me from Puff Daddy. But I would have loved to work with BIG." - Fat Joe

"If he was still here he'd be the realest nigga in Hip-Hop. Every time I saw him, he was so down-to-earth. No matter how big he was; no matter much he blew up, he'd always stop and talk with you. He was never like a catty dude. He's still the realest nigga in the game I've ever met." - Vita

"Homie would have gave people what they wanted, a whole lot of good music. Cause that's all Big was ever really about, he was a real humble dude who just wanted help out his people and make good music." - Banger, Junior Mafia

"Jay-Z and Cam'ron would have been in The Commission." - Samm Wilson, fan

"He'd see his clothing line blowing up like Puff Daddy's." - Mr. Cheeks

"I think that certain songs of his may not have been released. I think "Dead Wrong" would not have necessarily come out." - DJ Beverly Bond

"Lil Kim would still look like Lil Kim." - BK Mecca

"Shyne would have never signed to Bad Boy therefore making him a free man." - Samm Wilson

"The competition to be the King of New York would have been crazy. It would have been BIG, Jay, Nas, Jadakiss, 50 [Cent] ...Imagine what it would have looked like!" - Lord Finesse

2Pac died on Friday the 13th...
2 Tupac "died" in Las Vegas which is a payoff city, meaning all sorts of folks have been known to be on the take. That means doctors, press, lawyers, etc.
3 The white Cadillac containing the assailants was never found... How could this be when Vegas is in the middle of a desert?
4 There's a small Black community on the North side of town.. This strip is only about 8 blocks long.. If the attackers were Black.. Where did they go? Where did they hide?
5 The white Cadillac containing the gunmen passes a entourage of Tupac's boys, many of them body guards... No one gives chase and there are no witnesses...There were no witnesses on the street... How come? Why not, especially right after a heavyweight fight?
6 The name of 2Pac's new album is Makaveli... He was an Italian war strategist who advocated faking one's death to fool their enemies... Tupac studied Machiaveli in depth while in prision was a fan and had read his books several times. Perhaps 2Pac is taking his advice...
7 Makaveli wrote two books before his death. Look at what the All Eyez on Me disks are called....
8 The cover of 2Pac's latest album, Makaveli has 2Pac looking like Jesus Christ... Could he be planning a resurrection? 1
9 Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert. How come there was no helicopter chase? If some one were to rob a casino, the LVPD would've chased you down with some helicopters.. . How come this didn't happen with 2Pac shooting?
10 2Pac was cremated the day after he died... Since when does someone get cremated the day after a murder?
11 There were no ballistic tests in the murder case... At least we haven't heard about them....
12 Las Vegas is still very much a mob town.. No one gets killed on the strip... You have to pretty much get permission in order for something like this to happen. Who was calling the shots on this one?
13 2Pac's vehicle got shot 12 times and Suge didn't get hit once.. He was 'grazed' by a bullet.. Why did 2Pac get shot all those times and Suge did not get hit?
14 Suge said he drove 2Pac to the hospital and they had a coherent conversation? How bad was 2Pac hit? In addition to all this .. there are conflicting stories claiming that Quincy Jones' daughter was in the back of the car.. and then she wasn't.. what's the deal for real?
15 2Pac has completed 2 movies and 3 LP's that have yet to be released.. With so many people upset about 2Pac's death, literally anything connected with him is bound to net a whole lot of cash...
16 I have heard that there is a 72 million dollar life insurance policy on him which has yet to be cashed. No legal actions could be taken against him as long as it isn't cashed.
17 2Pac's video 'I Ain't Mad At Ya' foretold his death ....
18 2Pac always wore a bulletproof vest but for some strange reason he didn't wear one this time.. why not?
19 The memorial services that were open to the public were canceled in both Los Angeles and Atlanta...
20 In addition to number 19, Tupac said in his song "Life goes on" from his "All Eyez on Me" CD, that when he died he wanted "every rapper" to rap at his funeral, etc. Why didn't Death Row fulfill his death wish?
21 In a 1994 interview with Tupac, he said before he went to prison that if he was ever sent to prison when he came out he would be worse than before. He was. He also said when he came out it would be like he was reborn. Was he speaking literally? He already died and he was worse when he came out of jail, plus Tupac switched his rapping name from 2 Pac to Makaveli, that could be considered a rebirth, all that's left is a physical rebirth (A sighting) and so far he's already completed more than half of this prophecy.
22 Suge Knight and 2Pac are the only two music industry people on that high a profile with enough balls to pull off a stunt like faking death...
23 The producer on the new Makaveli album is simply "SIMON." This was the apostle who helped Jesus carry the cr