It was a cold-blooded execution that shocked the world of hip-hop. Jam Master Jay, the legendary DJ of Run-DMC, was gunned down in his own studio by two men he once trusted.
His godson, Karl Jordan Jr, and his childhood friend, Ronald Washington, had turned against him over a lucrative drug deal gone sour.
The trial revealed how the duo plotted to ambush the musician, whose real name was Jason Mizell, at his Queens recording studio on the night of October 30, 2002. They waited for him to arrive, then stormed in through a back door with guns blazing. Mizell was hit in the head and died instantly. He was only 37 years old.
The killers fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of blood and unanswered questions. Who would want to murder the man who revolutionized hip-hop with his turntable skills and iconic tracks like It’s Tricky, It’s Like That, and Walk This Way? How did he get mixed up in the dangerous world of cocaine trafficking? And why did it take so long to bring his assailants to justice?
Jordan and Washington were finally arrested and charged in 2020, after years of investigation and speculation. They were found guilty of murder and racketeering, and now face life sentences behind bars. But they were not the only ones involved in the conspiracy. A third man, Jay Bryant, is still awaiting trial. He is accused of being the inside man who let the killers in through the front door.
The case of Jam Master Jay is a tragic tale of fame, fortune, and betrayal. It is also a reminder of the legacy he left behind, as one of the pioneers of hip-hop culture and a role model for generations of artists. His music lives on, but his murder remains a stain on the history of rap.
