Police Probe Feud in Jam Master Jay Shooting

N E W   Y O R K, Nov. 1, 2002 -- Outside the recording studio where hip-hoplegend Jam Master Jay was fatally shot, bereaved fans laid flowers,candles, personal notes and an Adidas sneaker — a reference to thegroup's hit song "My Adidas" — with "R.I.P JMJ" handwritten inmarker.

Police, meanwhile, were investigating whether a feud sparked theshooting of the 37-year-old rap star, whose real name was JasonMizell, as skeptical friends and family mourned the beloved musicpioneer from the groundbreaking group Run-DMC. He was shot once in the head at close rangewith a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol in the Wednesday night attack onthe second floor of his Queens recording studio.

"There's no reason," the victim's teenage son, Jason MizellJr., said Thursday. "He didn't really do anything wrong." Two witnesses told investigators conflicting stories about thekilling, police said.

A woman who had shown up to use the studio said two armedattackers were buzzed into the three-room facility about 7:30 p.m.and opened fire almost immediately.

Police recovered two shell casings from the shooting, which tookplace as Mizell played video games in a lounge with a 25-year-old man,who was shot in the leg.

The wounded man, Uriel Rincon, who was released from a hospitalThursday, told investigators one masked man opened fire after astruggle.

Three other people said they were in the studio room and did notwitness the killing, police said.

Was It the Result of a Feud?

Witnesses were being questioned by police Thursday in freshrounds of interviews, said a law enforcement source who spoke oncondition of anonymity. Police have not yet established a motive oridentified any suspects.

"They're checking out varying theories, including, 'Was it theresult of a personal feud? Was it linked to this East Coast/WestCoast rappers?' and other possible motives," the law enforcementsource said.

Another source, also speaking anonymously, said: "They'relooking at some sort of dispute, anything from a personal disputeto some kind of rap rivalry."

Many in the rap industry questioned whether Mizell, known as afamily man and social activist, could ever be caught in a violentflare-up — especially a bi-coastal feud that seemed to have littleto do with him.

"Before the media rushes to attribute this to East Coast-WestCoast violence, they should examine Run-DMC's two decades ofcontributions and Jam Master Jay's personal character," saidhip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, whose brother, Joseph "Run"Simmons, founded the group with Mizell and Darryl "DMC"McDaniels.

Police Discover ‘Credible Threat’

Police investigating Mizell's shooting discovered what onesource described as a "credible threat" against rapper 50 Cent,whose Thursday night show planned for a midtown Manhattan nightclubwas canceled on their recommendation. 50 Cent was under policeguard Thursday.

But Chris Lighty, 50 Cent's manager, said he doubted the killingand the threat report were linked.

"There's a threat against anyone in this business every day,"he said.

He said he had no inkling of who would want to harm Mizell, whobrought about much of 50 Cent's early success by discovering himand producing his first album about five years ago.

"This is the worst thing that could happen to a guy that hasnothing but kindness to spread," Lighty said of Mizell. "He's anicon in our business. It's a disaster in our community."