Jam Master J murdered?

There's talk on another forum that Jam Master J of Run-DMC was shot in the head and killed after leaving a recording session in New York tonight. I can't seem to find any confirmation about this, at least not yet.

If it's true, it's pretty much the hip-hop equivalent of John Lennon's murder.

 

I guess it's the real deal. Here's a blurb from the Associated Press:

Whether you're into rap or not, there's no denying that this is a huge passing.

 

It's true. I just found the story here.

mtv news

 

This is really disturbing, totally sickening. Run DMC were true pioneers, nobody will argue that. The analogy to John Lennon is completely appropriate, there is absolutely no value to violence like this. I am so saddened and sorry to hear this...

Michael

 

I'm stunned and incredibly saddened by this news. I'm also angry that such a nice guy like Jay could be the victim of such a random and violent act. My condolences and prayers go out to his family and to Darryl and Joe. Definitely a major loss for Hip Hop.

 

This is not only a big loss to the hip-hop world, but the rock world as well. There is just no reason for this senseless murder.

I think i'll go put on their "king Of Rock" LP.

 

A very sad loss - I'm lost for words

All the best - Andrew

 

Damn, what the hell is this world coming to.

Better remember him this way:

Kick off shoes, jump on the jock
Listen to the Jam Master as he starts to rock
His name is Jay and he's on his way
To be the best DJ in the US of A

J-a-y are the letters of his name
Cutting and scratching are the aspects of his game
So check out the Master as he cuts these jams
And look at us with the mics in our hands
Then take a count, 1 2 3
Jam Master Jay, Run-D.M.C.

He's Jam Master Jay, the big beat blaster
He gets better cause he knows he has to
In '84 he'll be a little faster
And only practice makes a real Jam Master

We're live as can be but we're not singing the blues
We got to tell all y'all the good news
The good news is that there is a crew
Not 5, not 4, not 3, just 2
2 MC's who are claiming the fame
And all other things won't be the same
Beacause it's about time for a brand new group
Run-D.M.C. to put you up on the scoop
We make the fly girls scream in ecstacy
We rock the freshest rhymes at a party
We put all the fellas in a daze
It's everyone that we amaze
And we got the master of a disco scratch
There's not a break that he can't catch
Jam Master Jay that is his name
And all wild DJ's he will tame
Behind the turntables is where he stands
Then there is the movement of his hands
So when asked who's the best, y'all should say:
"Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay"

Jam Master Jay is the one in charge
It's up to him to rock beats that are truly large
He is the master of the scratch and cut
So move your arms, so move your legs
So won't you move your butt

We're not talking ground, we're not talking sky
We're not talking low, we're not talking high
We're not talking big, we're not talking small
We want all of the people on off the wall
We're not talking night, we're not talking day
But we're talking bout Jam Master Jay

R.I.P. 1965-2002

 

How many murdered rappers does this one make? Three? Four? This is the gangsta rap attitude I was talking about in another thread. Total disrespect/disregard for the life of another person.

 

I never thought of Run DMC as "gansta" - as a matter of fact I always thought they were sort of against that whole scene. I don't think that we can blame everything on gangsta attitude

 

Perfectly right -- Run-DMC were old-school rappers, from the good time when rap was *against* crime and drugs and tried to promote genuine self-respect.

This is terribly sad.

His eulogy can & will be the first track from "Raising Hell": Peter Piper, mainly a catalogue of Jay's good qualities.

 

Tullman: Agreed on 100%, and that is about all I am going to say on this subject!

 

syogusr .... you probably know a lot about gansta rap being from South Central ........ Pennsylvania, that is .

I never realized that Jam Master Jay was only 37 (same age as me!). Thought he was a few years older. Raising Hell is still the all-time rap album for me (with a couple of Public Enemy's efforts following behind). Not a big hip-hop fan but enjoyed the funs stuff (yes, even Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff) and the political stuff (Public Enemy). Can't stand the gangsta stuff.

I'd also like to commend this forum for being true music fans. It would have been easy to say that he was just "some rap guy, which isn't even music, and he's a rapper so he deserved to die" sort of b.s. And it's great to see the same forum contibutors giving props to RUN-DMC who also love the Who, Beatles, Stones and Dylan (just like myself). As I said, a classy versitile bunch indeed.

Cliff

 

RUN DMC predates gangster rap by several years. I don't like rap but I love mid eighties RUN DMC. There's critical distance for you.

Chris

 

Run DMC is by far my favorite rap group. The crossover "Walk This Way" pulled me in, but the great tracks on RAISING HELL made me a full-fledged fan. As others have, theirs was a message of genuine self-respect -- something that seemed to be sorely missing during the early to mid-90s, but seems to be re-emerging today.

Jay

 

I don't get the "gangsta rap" analogy at all. These guys predated that stuff by 10-15 years. Give me a break! None of us know why he's dead.People die like this in Queens almost every night of the year. It's sad...but not uncommon or particular to the rap community. There simply is no correlation. He was a man and we'll miss him.

 

Ed...do you feel a draft in here...icy hand....

 

I just don't get it though... Maybe J got into some rough deal.

Murdering J seems kinda lame in itself....

 

One wonders whether it was delibeate, or a random act of violence. Either way, a nice guy who did not deserve to be murdered is gone. I always loved Run-DMC, from the first time I saw the "Rock Box" video. Damn, this is a sad day, first seeing the dying Warren Zevon on Letterman, now hearing this. Sheeee-it.

 

Run-DMC has absolutely nothing to do with gangsta rap.

Ryan

 

Yeah, I really wanted to comment too, but I was off to watch Letterman. This is a shocking tragedy. Why some of you think this has to do with ganster attitudes without considering anything else is curious. I don't suspect even the police in charge of investigating this matter have come that far in their case. Just how do you guys do it

 

Uh, maybe you would be kind enough to explain yourself, about the location, that is. I am not stupid enough to equate this with gansta rap, I know that the group predates it by at least 5-10 years. But I, and many others do make some connection to the genre of rap in general. I believe the police findings will bear this out .

 

Ah, syogusr, joke alert!! Under your name it says "South Central Pennsylvania". A lot of West Coast gangsta rap is from South Central L.A. It was merely a joke (a play on words); perhaps my smiley at the end might have given it away?!?

I think that the police findings may find some connection with moneys owing or something like that (based on what I've read so far and the style of execution - two guys walk into studio, bypass others, single shot to the head). Most gangsta killings are usually about turf wars and dissing, followed by revenge (Tupac, Notorious BIG). That's what I think forum members are saying when they don't see this as a "gangsta-style" killing (i.e. RUN-DMC had no industry "rivals" bent on killing them, as with gangsta acts).

Cliff

 

That is OK with me, but wouldn't it have been easier to just use the smily icon at the left? And, as far as location goes, around here, things in this particular category are not taken lightly, unfortuantly