Post by Journey2herpast on Oct 21, 2005 18:22:56 GMT -5
Legendary hip-hop DJ Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC was shot and killed in Queens on Wednesday October 30, 2002. Jason Mizell, 37, is survived by his wife, three sons, mother, brother and sister.
Such a good person," Funkmaster Flex said sometimes when we talk about people passing away, sometimes you forget to say you miss a good person. ...
For close to 20 years, Jam Master Jay, Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) have been touching the lives of multitudes of fans who include their peers and associates in the music industry. Their brash b-boy style introduced hip-hop to the MTV audience with classic clips such as "Rock Box," "King of Rock" and "Walk This Way," which also resuscitated Aerosmith's careers.
"That's Run-DMC's mission," DMC said in a 1988 interview. "Let everyone know this is music. It's the most exciting form, the most educational, the most vivid and visual."
It wasn't just the swinging gold chains, the Adidas sneakers or the black jogging and leather suits. Fans fell in love with Run's sheer audacity and charisma, DMC's depth and strength and the Jam Master's skills. His scratching and mixing exhibitions on songs such as "Jam Master Jay," "Sucker MCs" and "Peter Piper" (which Missy Elliott uses a portion of on her latest single, "Work It") were as influential on future turntablists as Run and DMC's raps were on the MCs who followed in their footsteps.
"Run-DMC's 'Rock Box' — that record, right there, slammed the whole industry," KRS-One said in the late '80s.
"Run-DMC definitely made me feel rap was here to stay," Big Daddy Kane concurred of his peers' pioneering.
Jay, Run and DMC, who were immortalized on Hollywood's Rock Walk earlier this year, also served as reference points for any hip-hop stars thinking of making a move to the big screen. They starred in the cult classic "Krush Groove" in 1985 and the blueprint 'hood flick "Tougher Than Leather" in 1988.
Jam Master Jay will be missed.