More than 20 years after Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was fatally shot, the suspects responsible for his October 2002 death have been found guilty.
On Tuesday, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were convicted of murder while engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and firearm-related murder, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
In connection to those crimes, they both face a minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
Jordan was Jam Master Jay’s godson and Washington was a childhood friend of the accomplished Run-DMC musician.
According to the trial findings, Jam Master Jay was killed after he acquired nearly 10 kilos of cocaine from a supplier in the Midwest, and he was going to negotiate a drug deal worth nearly $200,000. Jordan and Washington were initially brought in on the deal but after a disagreement with Jam Master Jay, they were cut out, which led to them plotting to kill him.
Jay Bryant, the third man charged in Jam Master Jay’s murder, will be tried in a separate trial in 2026. And while it’s good to see that the men responsible for Jam Master Jay’s death are being brought to justice, the four-week trial revealed some shocking details about the man many Run-DMC fans thought they knew.
Here are some of the most shocking things we learned about the iconic DJ.
Jam Master Jay led a double life
As evidenced by the suspects’ convictions, Jam Master Jay was deeply involved in the distribution of drugs and specifically worked as a drug middleman while also publicly working as a DJ, entertainer, and music exec.
This was a shocking revelation since Jam Master Jay was considered a role model who spoke out against drugs and even recorded a “Say No to Drugs” public service announcement with Run-DMC.
During the final six years of his life, Jay moved drugs for cash and acted as the connection between cocaine suppliers and street sellers, according to the New York Times.
He struggled financially
The biggest reason Jam Master Jay got involved with the drug game seems to be because he was struggling to support family and friends financially. According to the New York Times, Jay gave money to “everybody that was around him.”
Michael Rapley, who was present when Jay was fatally shot in his Queens studio, told the court that Jam Master Jay paid for his mother’s funeral.
Jay was always helping others, and even though he still earned money by working with the group during the 1990s and early 2000s, it still wasn’t enough to provide for everyone he cared for.
During his time as a drug middleman, Jam Master Jay still owned a record label
Despite his struggles financially, Jam Master Jay still attempted to help younger hip-hop acts through his record label JMJ Records. One of the people who was present at the time of his death was a teenage singer who stopped by the studio to play her demo tape.
He met with 50 Cent just days before his death
Just a couple of days before he was fatally shot, Jay connected with 50 Cent in Chicago and celebrated the Queens rapper signing a record with Shady Records, the label owned by Eminem. The DJ had a previous relationship with the up-and-coming hip-hop star in the late 90s and even produced a track that was later released on JMJ records.