Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Death of Run DMC Member

Aired October 31, 2002 - 07:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more on our first story, the shooting death of Jason Mizell, also known as Jam Master Jay.
Now, he was one-third of the legendary rap group, Run DMC. They're credited with fusing rap music and rock 'n' roll. Mizell helped to pioneer a whole new kind of music just by scratching on a turntable.

WABC's Jeff Rossen is standing by now in the Hollis section of Queens. He's been reporting on this story in the wee hours this morning.

Jeff -- what's the latest?

JEFF ROSSEN, CNN AFFILIATE WABC REPORTER: And, Leon, police officers are still on the scene here from the NYPD, and investigators say this was no accident. The gunman knew exactly what he was doing.

In fact, two suspects late last night around 10:30 buzzed themselves into this recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, then went up to the second floor where the blinds are drawn up there. That's where Jam Master Jay was working with another group. That's when one of the gunmen, the shooter, put a bullet in his head execution-style. And this morning, police are searching for his killer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSSEN (voice-over): Jam Master Jay was 37 years old. His real name, Jason Mizell, grew up in Hollis, Queens, a man who took center stage with a master-style on the turntables, an art called scratching.

The music, the innovation that made him a star all died last night, when a man was buzzed into his second-floor recording studio on Merrick Boulevard. By one account, the gunman came into the studio lounge and pushed aside another singer, just to get a clear shot. He fired at least twice, hitting Jay in the head and killing him instantly.

A second man was wounded, but police say, he may have been hit by ricocheting bullets.

After the shooting, fans and friends gathered outside in the rain, crying and mourning together.

Fellow rappers, like Dr. Dra and Chuck D were there.

Mizell was a popular man, upbeat in his public appearances. JAM MASTER JAY, RAP SINGER: We are together because of love, because we love each other. A lot of people don't understand about love. Love is the key to everything, you know, like God is love.

ROSSEN: Run DMC was the first rap group nominated for a Grammy, the first rap group to sell more than a million albums, and the first to crack Billboard's Top 10; here, appearing with Aerosmith.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSSEN: Fans have been out all morning long, putting up this makeshift memorial. We have flowers, we have candles, signs -- "Jam Master Jay, please rest in peace."

Right now, police don't have much to go on. They have a very sketchy description of the witness, a young, black male wearing either a white sweatshirt or a white sweatsuit.

The latest from here, Leon, is the investigation continues this morning.

HARRIS: Well, Jeff, a couple of questions jump to mind immediately. No. 1, do police believe that this was someone -- the shooter here in this case was someone that was a friend or someone who was an acquaintance? After all, he was buzzed up to come in.

And No. 2, as far as I know, Run DMC, and Jay as well, have never been associated with any violence at all in rap. We've heard about that with Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., but never with DMC.

ROSSEN: In fact, he practiced non-violence, and that's what most of the fans are saying this morning. That's the reason that Run DMC stuck out so much and was such a popular group through the '90s, and then again into this century. And that's why so many are coming out this morning.

They say it was non-violence. They don't believe he had any enemies, and that does beg the question, because they did buzz those two people up. And you have to expect that someone in that studio knew these people, but right now, police aren't saying.

HARRIS: Incredible. An incredible story this morning. Jeff Rossen from WABC -- appreciate it. Thank you very much.

ROSSEN: My pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired October 31, 2002 - 07:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more on our first story, the shooting death of Jason Mizell, also known as Jam Master Jay.
Now, he was one-third of the legendary rap group, Run DMC. They're credited with fusing rap music and rock 'n' roll. Mizell helped to pioneer a whole new kind of music just by scratching on a turntable.

WABC's Jeff Rossen is standing by now in the Hollis section of Queens. He's been reporting on this story in the wee hours this morning.

Jeff -- what's the latest?

JEFF ROSSEN, CNN AFFILIATE WABC REPORTER: And, Leon, police officers are still on the scene here from the NYPD, and investigators say this was no accident. The gunman knew exactly what he was doing.

In fact, two suspects late last night around 10:30 buzzed themselves into this recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, then went up to the second floor where the blinds are drawn up there. That's where Jam Master Jay was working with another group. That's when one of the gunmen, the shooter, put a bullet in his head execution-style. And this morning, police are searching for his killer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSSEN (voice-over): Jam Master Jay was 37 years old. His real name, Jason Mizell, grew up in Hollis, Queens, a man who took center stage with a master-style on the turntables, an art called scratching.

The music, the innovation that made him a star all died last night, when a man was buzzed into his second-floor recording studio on Merrick Boulevard. By one account, the gunman came into the studio lounge and pushed aside another singer, just to get a clear shot. He fired at least twice, hitting Jay in the head and killing him instantly.

A second man was wounded, but police say, he may have been hit by ricocheting bullets.

After the shooting, fans and friends gathered outside in the rain, crying and mourning together.

Fellow rappers, like Dr. Dra and Chuck D were there.

Mizell was a popular man, upbeat in his public appearances. JAM MASTER JAY, RAP SINGER: We are together because of love, because we love each other. A lot of people don't understand about love. Love is the key to everything, you know, like God is love.

ROSSEN: Run DMC was the first rap group nominated for a Grammy, the first rap group to sell more than a million albums, and the first to crack Billboard's Top 10; here, appearing with Aerosmith.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSSEN: Fans have been out all morning long, putting up this makeshift memorial. We have flowers, we have candles, signs -- "Jam Master Jay, please rest in peace."

Right now, police don't have much to go on. They have a very sketchy description of the witness, a young, black male wearing either a white sweatshirt or a white sweatsuit.

The latest from here, Leon, is the investigation continues this morning.

HARRIS: Well, Jeff, a couple of questions jump to mind immediately. No. 1, do police believe that this was someone -- the shooter here in this case was someone that was a friend or someone who was an acquaintance? After all, he was buzzed up to come in.

And No. 2, as far as I know, Run DMC, and Jay as well, have never been associated with any violence at all in rap. We've heard about that with Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., but never with DMC.

ROSSEN: In fact, he practiced non-violence, and that's what most of the fans are saying this morning. That's the reason that Run DMC stuck out so much and was such a popular group through the '90s, and then again into this century. And that's why so many are coming out this morning.

They say it was non-violence. They don't believe he had any enemies, and that does beg the question, because they did buzz those two people up. And you have to expect that someone in that studio knew these people, but right now, police aren't saying.

HARRIS: Incredible. An incredible story this morning. Jeff Rossen from WABC -- appreciate it. Thank you very much.

ROSSEN: My pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.