Today marked the 6th year anniversary of Jam Master Jay’s murder. Jay was the first famous person in HipHop to befriend me. I used to play ball with Jason in my late teens and had the pleasure of producing Run-DMC shortly before Jay was tragically taken from us. Jason was someone I looked up to as a kid,someone who encouraged me to follow my dreams and was a influence on me in a time when I was impressionable and untamed.
I never got to tell Jay any of this and the pain and frustration I personally feel with his death still being unsolved brings tears to me eyes when I allow myself to analyze the situation. Jason, my friend where ever your spirit is, know me and so many of us miss you. Your contributions to the culture were endless, your jokes still ring out and make us smile and one day we will bring your killers to justice.
Jay was just a stand up guy that’s why the whole scenario is so perennially frustrating and personal to me. If Jason were a white man with the same sort of cultural significance I wonder would his killers still walk free? Take a second today and think it through and say a prayer that we find his killer one day, then think about Jay and all the joy he brought so many and have a smile on Jason.
Jason Mizell we miss you now and forever, thanks for all you gave us.
REST IN POWER my brother.
My friend Tyler of the heavyweights did the above painting thanks Tyler. I remember going to Jay’s service with Kaves and then securing a painting Kaves did to the lot adjacent to where Jay was murdered tears in our mutual eyes just like it was yesterday. The sting of his loss will never cease to hurt my heart and the collective spirit of hiphop.
Dante Ross
Hoping for justice and closure one day
NYC
