October 30, 2006 @ 6:41 pm

Remembering Jam Master jay

Tasheka Josephs

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"He paved the way for DJs like me to come up from Queens and make a difference in hip hop." - DJ Clue, Vibe.com. It seems like only yesterday hip hop forcefully said good-bye to one of the first DJs it ever knew: Jam Master Jay of the legendary rap group Run DMC. right Born on January 21, 1965, JMJ, born Jason Mizell, was originally interested in the drums and bass. However, he quickly took notice of the one-man show that would play during the intermissions of many live concerts: the DJ. Playing on his father’s old turner set, JMJ developed his talents rather quickly and eventually helped to introduce scratch deejaying to the world. With the help of JMJ's style and vibe, Run DMC took music to another level with songs like “Walk This Way,” featuring samples from the original track with rock band Aerosmith; “My Adidas;” and “The King of Rock.” Along with helping artists like 50 Cent and rap group Onyx get their start, JMJ cofounced the Scratch DJ Academy in 2002, with locations in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. On October 30, of the same year, in an ironic turn of events, an unidentified assailant shot JMJ to death in a Queens studio. That night, hip hop lost one of its founding fathers. Hip Hop will forever mourn the unexpected death of a pioneer in the game. Today, Vibe honors hip hop's fallen soldier and remembers his legacy with quotes from some of his notable admirers and followers. “He was the first DJ I ever knew. His entire demeanor was one of class and worthy to be admired because he made it ok to be the silent strength of a movement. The greatest teacher is the one who can teach without words.” - Lyfe Jennings. “Its like it was yesterday, at the Fresh Fest concert, Run grabbed the mic and asked "what the f**k is my name" and Jay scratched "run, run,ru,ru run,run,” I was blown away by his creativity.” - DJ Gringo of Sirius Satellite Radio. “He made DJing sexy! Every group or artist that came out after RUN DMC wanted to have their own dude on the turntables. Jay showed people how to take DJing to the streets and stages across the world, not just in the clubs. That man took it to supastar status.” - Egypt of NY Radio Station 105.1fm. “He paved the way for DJ’s like me to come up from Queens and make a difference in hip hop.” - DJ Clue. “He was the back bone of the biggest rap duo in history RUN DMC and I love them for paving the way for us." Bay rapper E-40. “He was a great. I’m sorry that it’s even an anniversary because he is supposed to be with us right now, HE was hip hop.” - Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan. * Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell was survived by his wife, Terri and three children. * Check out the Jam Master Jay Memorial at www.j-m-j.com. Read more vibe.com online exclusives.

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http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2006/10/remembering_jam_master_jay/

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