Hip-hop has an extended, tragic historical past of homicide and mayhem. Tupac Shakur, Infamous B.I.G., Huge L., Fats Pat, Mac Dre, Huge Hawk, Magnolia Shorty, XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hustle, Pop Smoke and dozens of others have been shot for the reason that late ’80s. When it comes to infamy, the unsolved murders of Shakur and Biggie have attracted essentially the most consideration, however proper behind them is the taking pictures of Jason Mizell, in any other case often called Jam Grasp Jay, the DJ behind Run-DMC.

For greater than 20 years, the case ran chilly with no arrests or convictions. Now, although, which will change.

The crime

At round 7:30 p.m. on a chilly, wet Wednesday in late October 2002, two males had been buzzed right into a recording studio on Merrick Avenue in Queens, New York. They walked up the steps, down an extended corridor and into the studio. One man blocked the door whereas the opposite, clad in a wool masks, shot Jay within the head as he was enjoying video video games, killing him immediately. Then they vanished.

The witnesses

Two individuals different individuals — Lydia Excessive, the studio supervisor and Tony Rincon, one other worker — had been within the room on the time. Neither was a lot assist in the investigation. Excessive says she was ordered to lie face down by the person blocking the door, so she didn’t see something. Rincon was shot within the leg and refused to provide a press release to police.

When footage from the 4 safety cameras was checked, it was ineffective. And regardless of being in a industrial space and down the block from the 103rd Precinct — a three-minute stroll away — nobody ever discovered any safety digital camera video that confirmed something.

There may be, nevertheless, an account from Tanya Edwards, the receptionist at a monetary providers firm with an entrance alongside the lengthy hallway resulting in the studio. She remembers seeing a girl in a brown floppy hat main a male in a velour tracksuit down the hallway at across the time of the taking pictures. At first, she recognized that girl as Excessive. In 2016, she recanted, saying that she couldn’t ensure.

Jam Grasp Jay was one of the vital appreciated and most admired rappers of his day. He was by all stories form and beneficiant and all the time prepared to assist out household and mates. (One Christmas, he purchased 5 automobiles for different individuals). He stayed out of hassle and was thought to be one thing of a peacekeeper. So why would anybody need him useless?

Within the tight-knit hip-hop group in Queens, there was speak about who was accountable. Due to mistrust of the police and the “snitches get stitches” code, nobody was prepared to go on document. All anybody might do was speculate and theorize.

The theories

1. The diss

One among Jay’s protégés was 50 Cent. On the time of the taking pictures, he had irritated a drug lord named Kenneth (Supreme) McGriff and his second in command, Gerald (Prince) Miller by calling them out by identify in a music referred to as Ghetto Qu’ran. On the identical time, Fiddy had a beef with Ja Rule, who recorded for a label referred to as Homicide Inc. Supreme had an curiosity within the firm. When Fiddy was advised to again off his sniping at Ja Rule, he allegedly refused. This resulted in him being focused in a taking pictures exterior his grandmother’s home in Might 2000. He survived.

Hypothesis was that Supreme ordered the hit on Fiddy (allegedly carried out by Darryl Brown, an in depth buddy of Mike Tyson who himself was later shot useless) and put Jay on the hit checklist earlier than he was Fiddy’s mentor and wasn’t controlling his man.

Cops by no means adopted up as a result of there have been no reputable leads.

2. The life insurance coverage coverage

Jay’s enterprise associate was Randy Allen, somebody he’d identified most of his life, the most effective man at his marriage ceremony and the godfather to one among Jay’s kids. As is widespread in enterprise relationships, each males had taken out insurance coverage insurance policies with the opposite because the beneficiary, so-called “key man insurance coverage.” A narrative circulated that Allen had Jay killed for the cash. Going deeper, some instructed that Jay had found that Allen was stealing from the enterprise. As soon as Allen discovered that he’d been found, he needed to act. Including intrigue to all that is that Excessive is Allen’s sister. Did she collaborate with Allen by buzzing within the gunman and escorting him to the studio?

This idea has been discarded, too. No credible proof was ever offered.

3. The primary drug deal gone mistaken

Jam Grasp Jay wouldn’t have something to do with medication. In reality, he employed guys from the hood to work for Run-DMC once they went on tour as a option to raise them out of their conditions. The concept Jay would promote medication himself? Preposterous. Or was it?

This idea states that main as much as his demise, Jay had cash issues. He was almost $500,000 in debt and owed the IRS round $100,000. Plus he needed to maintain supporting the household and mates he’d held shut all his life. Determined for money, he and his buddy Curtis Scoon entered a transaction to maneuver 10 kilos of cocaine from a provider in L.A. When he, Scoon and one other buddy named David Seabrook flew out to L.A. to shut the deal, one thing went mistaken and everybody was ripped off to the tune of $30,000. Scoon was apparently very upset. Some instructed he was the triggerman.

That idea additionally went nowhere. Apart from, he didn’t come near matching the imprecise description by Excessive.

4. The second drug deal gone mistaken

In 2007, Ronald Tinarn Washington, a violent man from the neighbourhood who was identified to Jay and the oldsters on the studio, began speaking. (Washington was additionally the suspect within the 1995 homicide of a rapper named Stretch who was an affiliate of Tupac on this Thug Life group). He advised a narrative about one other drug deal that had gone mistaken about three months earlier than the homicide.

He, Jay and Darren (Huge D) Jordan (a former Run-DMC highway supervisor) had been seeking to promote a pile of coke on consignment on behalf of a Baltimore distributor often called “Uncle.” That transaction collapsed, too, and everybody ended up owing Uncle — the pinnacle of the Black Mafia Household — $180,000.

Did Uncle organize for the homicide? If that’s the case, who did he rent?

The arrests

In 2007, Washington was named as an confederate within the homicide. Prosecutors decided he was almost certainly the person blocking the door whereas the taking pictures came about. He was already in jail serving a 17-year sentence for theft. Individuals within the neighbourhood had lengthy suspected that Washington had one thing to do with the homicide. He went on to say that the shooter for whom he was offering cowl was Huge D, the previous highway supervisor. Huge D denied all allegations.

Nevertheless, there’s a Lil D — Huge D’s son, Karl Jordan Jr., an aspiring rapper with a chequered historical past. The allegation is that Lil D was the individual in control of consignment gross sales of that 10 kilos of coke acquired from Uncle in Maryland. However then there was some form of disagreement and Jay allegedly reduce Lil D out of the deal. That led to Jay’s homicide. Including credence to the speculation is that Excessive claimed that the gunman that night time had a distinguished neck tattoo, identical to the one sported by Lil D. Including a little bit bit of additional color to his state of affairs is that in August 2003, lower than a yr after Jay’s homicide, he was charged with tried homicide after the taking pictures of a rapper named Boe Skagz, Jay’s nephew.

In 2020, each Washington and Lil D had been indicted for the homicide of Jam Grasp Jay. Each have pleaded not responsible.

In the meantime, a 3rd man already in jail on drug expenses, Jay Bryant, was charged with homicide. His DNA and clothes had been discovered on the scene. He could have even quietly confessed to somebody as being the gunman.

The upcoming trial

Each males had been scheduled to look in courtroom on Feb. 20. However then a delay was ordered resulting from worries about witness intimidation and potential jury tampering. Individuals obtained texted threats, generally accompanied by photos of victims shot within the head and their throats reduce. Prosecutors have requested for defense for a sequestered jury.

All it will lastly go to courtroom on Nov. 23. Over 21 years could have handed since Jay died.

Will this story lastly come to an finish? We’ll see.