Jason Mizell
| Jam Master Jay | |
|---|---|
Jam Master Jay
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jason William Mizell |
| Also known as | Jam-Master Jay, DJ Jazzy Jase, Jam Master Funk |
| Born |
January 21, 1965 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 30, 2002 (aged 37) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip-hop, golden age hip hop, rap rock |
| Occupation(s) | Disc Jockey, Producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, Turntables, Bass guitar, Drums, Keyboards |
| Years active | 1983–2002 |
| Labels | Jam Master Jay, Profile |
| Associated acts |
Run–D.M.C. Chuck D Onyx 50 Cent Flatlinerz |
| Website | jammasterjay.org |
Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C. During the 1980s, Run-D.M.C. became one of the biggest hip-hop groups and are credited with breaking hip-hop into mainstream music.
For his skill re-working riffs from classic guitar records, he was ranked No. 10 on Spin's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. On October 30, 2002, while recording new music at his studio in the Jamaica section of Queens, New York City, Mizell was shot and murdered by an unknown assailant.
Jason Mizell was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Jesse Mizell and Connie Thompson Mizell (later Connie Mizell-Perry) whose other children are Marvin L. Thompson and Bonita Jones.
At age 3, Jason began playing trumpet. He learned to played bass, guitar, and drums. He performed at his church and in various bands prior to discovering turntablism. After he and his family moved to Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1975, he discovered the turntables and started DJing at the age of 13. For a time, he resided in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he was taught to crossfade by turntablism pioneer DJ Def Lou Hauck. He caught on quickly because of his musical experience and after a year of DJing he felt that he was good enough to play in front of people. Originally calling himself, Jazzy Jase, he attended high school at Andrew Jackson High School in Queens.
He first started playing at parks and later played at bars. He also began throwing small parties around the area. Once he got a pair of Technics 1200s he improved rapidly since he was able to practice at night with headphones on when he was supposed to be sleeping.
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