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American Morning
Police Trying to Find Who Killed Founding Member of Legendary Rap Group
Aired October 31, 2002 - 09:03 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Police trying to find out who killed a founding member of a legendary rap group. Jam Master Jay, the deejay for Run DMC, was shot last night at a recording studio in Queens, New York. He helped pioneer a new kind of music, fusing rap with rock and roll. Run DMC became the first rap group nominated for a Grammy and the first to sell more than a million albums. Jay, who was born Jason Mizell, was gunned down by two men police say were actually buzzed into the studio. Distraught fans are gathering at the scene in the Hollis section of Queens and our Michael Okwu is there.
Good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
You know, we haven't heard a lot about Run DMC over the last several years or so, but no doubt, millions of fans are waking up very sadly this morning to find out that one of the pioneers of hip-hop music and rap music is, in fact, dead.
Now It happened again at about 7:30 last night, when two men were buzzed into the studio just behind me. They ascended up to the second floor, where Jam Master Jay was essentially resting with an associate of his. They shot him once in the head, killing him, and injured the second person, who was in stable condition, we understand.
And almost immediately, Paula, the emotion started. Legions of fans basically braved the cold drizzle here last night, mixed in along with police officers, to pay their respects here on the scene.
And one of the fans who showed up this morning, Ronald Williams. I want to ask you why you came here today. What did this particular person and Run DMC mean to you?
RONALD WILLIAMS: Well, Run DMC, it's like one of the Beatles just died, John Lennon. They were the pioneers of this game as we know it. They took it from the Armory, where people were wearing braids and afraid to express themselves for credibility. They took their Adidas with no laces and their baggy Lees, and they walked around, and they walked this way, as the song said, they walked this way, and they took it to Hollywood.
And now, this hip-hop thing that they helped build, now is popular music. And this is just a shame.
OKWU: You mentioned "Walk This Way." Obviously, the 1986 hit remake of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" really pioneering this whole movement in music that fused rock and roll with hip-hop.
WILLIAMS: Exactly. Not only that, they helped hip-hop, they helped Aerosmith. Aerosmith owes a bit of thanks, a great bit of thanks, to Run DMC and Jam Master Jay.
OKWU: It's interesting, I've seen a lot of people walking along here to pay their respects. And this is Jamaica, Queens, so there's a particular, you know, ethnic group here. But I've seen other people too. I've seen all kinds of people. And it strikes me that, you know many people say that their music brought people together, because it fused two different kinds of sounds, sounds that are usually listened to by two distinct groups of people.
WILLIAMS: Exactly. What they actually did was they made it popular. Again, they made this music popular. They brought groups together, all groups, Asians. They went to Asia, they went to Japan, they went to England -- everyone knows Run DMC and Jam Master Jay. The deejays, the wearing of the chains now, the whole genre that we appreciate, I mean underappreciate at this moment.
OKWU: Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your joining us.
WILLIAMS: No problem.
OKWU: Lots of sadness here, lots of people paying their respects -- Paula.
It's interesting, this was a group that was intending to go back to the studio to start their eighth album to coincide with their 20th anniversary. Clearly, that is not going to happen, certainly not with Jam Master Jay -- Paula.
ZAHN: Michael Okwu, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Legendary Rap Group>
Aired October 31, 2002 - 09:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Police trying to find out who killed a founding member of a legendary rap group. Jam Master Jay, the deejay for Run DMC, was shot last night at a recording studio in Queens, New York. He helped pioneer a new kind of music, fusing rap with rock and roll. Run DMC became the first rap group nominated for a Grammy and the first to sell more than a million albums. Jay, who was born Jason Mizell, was gunned down by two men police say were actually buzzed into the studio. Distraught fans are gathering at the scene in the Hollis section of Queens and our Michael Okwu is there.
Good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
You know, we haven't heard a lot about Run DMC over the last several years or so, but no doubt, millions of fans are waking up very sadly this morning to find out that one of the pioneers of hip-hop music and rap music is, in fact, dead.
Now It happened again at about 7:30 last night, when two men were buzzed into the studio just behind me. They ascended up to the second floor, where Jam Master Jay was essentially resting with an associate of his. They shot him once in the head, killing him, and injured the second person, who was in stable condition, we understand.
And almost immediately, Paula, the emotion started. Legions of fans basically braved the cold drizzle here last night, mixed in along with police officers, to pay their respects here on the scene.
And one of the fans who showed up this morning, Ronald Williams. I want to ask you why you came here today. What did this particular person and Run DMC mean to you?
RONALD WILLIAMS: Well, Run DMC, it's like one of the Beatles just died, John Lennon. They were the pioneers of this game as we know it. They took it from the Armory, where people were wearing braids and afraid to express themselves for credibility. They took their Adidas with no laces and their baggy Lees, and they walked around, and they walked this way, as the song said, they walked this way, and they took it to Hollywood.
And now, this hip-hop thing that they helped build, now is popular music. And this is just a shame.
OKWU: You mentioned "Walk This Way." Obviously, the 1986 hit remake of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" really pioneering this whole movement in music that fused rock and roll with hip-hop.
WILLIAMS: Exactly. Not only that, they helped hip-hop, they helped Aerosmith. Aerosmith owes a bit of thanks, a great bit of thanks, to Run DMC and Jam Master Jay.
OKWU: It's interesting, I've seen a lot of people walking along here to pay their respects. And this is Jamaica, Queens, so there's a particular, you know, ethnic group here. But I've seen other people too. I've seen all kinds of people. And it strikes me that, you know many people say that their music brought people together, because it fused two different kinds of sounds, sounds that are usually listened to by two distinct groups of people.
WILLIAMS: Exactly. What they actually did was they made it popular. Again, they made this music popular. They brought groups together, all groups, Asians. They went to Asia, they went to Japan, they went to England -- everyone knows Run DMC and Jam Master Jay. The deejays, the wearing of the chains now, the whole genre that we appreciate, I mean underappreciate at this moment.
OKWU: Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your joining us.
WILLIAMS: No problem.
OKWU: Lots of sadness here, lots of people paying their respects -- Paula.
It's interesting, this was a group that was intending to go back to the studio to start their eighth album to coincide with their 20th anniversary. Clearly, that is not going to happen, certainly not with Jam Master Jay -- Paula.
ZAHN: Michael Okwu, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Legendary Rap Group>
