It was more than 20 years ago when Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, one-third of the legendary rap trio Run-DMC, was murdered in his Queens, New York recording studio. On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were convicted of killing Mizell. Jordan was Mizell’s godson and Washington was an old friend. Their motive for the murder was a drug deal that fell through because the supplier did not want to work with Washington. Jam Master Jay’s best friend and business partner Randy Allen was in the studio the night Jay was murdered. Allen took the stand and testified that he heard the commotion in the studio but did not see who the killers were before running to the police station. Allen was once looked at as a potential suspect in the murder. In the the trailer, for Hush Over Hollis, he talks about their friendship and the details surrounding the music icon’s death. The upcoming documentary will also have first-time interviews from others in the studio that night. Read Allen’s statement below.

“These past years from the beginning have taken a great toll on us all. By all I mean everyone who loved Jay and was invested in bringing the right people to justice. Many people have questioned my integrity, my dedication, my movements and my overall loyalty to my friend and his family. Many times I’ve been portrayed as a hindrance, a thief, a murderer and more. The public was swept away by speculation, limited information, out of context headlines all while I worked diligently behind the scenes towards what we all wanted. I practiced patience while the wheels of justice turned at the pace they needed to, uncontrolled by the fickle masses and their opinions. Opinions formed in the heat of uneducated banter. Opinions formed in the streets while the culprits partied and sat with many of Jay’s family and friends while their lies were believed. For years, you cast your gaze upon me with blame and contempt, convinced of my guilt in our friend’s demise. This verdict speaks volumes: You were wrong all along and justice finally prevailed.”

March 27, 2024, will be the 40th anniversary of Run-DMC’s self-titled album. 

Sunday night The Grammys celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with a lineup of some of the most prominent rappers of the genre. Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Run DMC, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, Mr. Scarface, Busta Rhymes, Too Short, Ice-T, Method Man, Lil Baby, GloRilla, LL Cool J and Public Enemy performed the compact tribute on the stage outfitted like 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx where DJ Kool Herc hosted the earliest hip-hop parties. Black Thought narrated the segment while The Roots provided the music. Questlove curated the evening and he, unfortunately, had to remove many artists because of time constraints. 

Run DMC introduced a new style of hip-hop with their debut single “It’s Like That.” The hard beats, shouting delivery and leather suits were unlike the more carefree approach of previous artists like Kurtis Blow or The Sugar Hill Gang. Their raps about the toughness of capitalism and the stupidity of racism was on their group’s self-titled 1984 debut album. Run D.M.C. achieved many firsts with this album including a fresh sound, look, rock and rap blend (“Rock Box”) that was the premier rap video on MTV. Run, D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay became hip-hop’s ambassadors to the world with the release of their initial album. Their rise was compared to The Beatles and they would become hip-hop’s inaugural superstars. Jam Master Jay introduced the concept of a DJ being a band to mainstream audiences. The new era they introduced also led to them becoming the first rappers to get a major endorsement two years later when they released “My Adidas.” “It’s Like That” is the beginning of hip-hop’s Golden Era and the album was the beginning of rappers becoming pop stars while maintaining their creative integrity. Run D.M.C. recorded seven studio albums before disbanding in 2001. In 2020, Jam Master Jay’s murder was solved and the remaining group members Run and D.M.C. appeared on Public Enemy’s What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? album. 

Public Enemy release animated video for “Public Enemy Number Won” featuring Run DMC, Ad-Rock and Mike D of The Beastie Boys. They become animated characters among archived footage of the band, posters and old flyers. Chuck D explains that the song is a tribute to “Public Enemy No. 1” from their first album that helped them get signed to Def Jam. “The song is an homage to ‘Public Enemy No. 1′ and that moment in time. The Beastie Boys and Run-DMC were playing it all the time and Rick Rubin kept coming at us to sign with Def Jam. So it’s my way of bringing it all back together again.” Public Enemy just released their timely What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? as the world argues over whether climate change is real. Rapsody, George Clinton and Nas are some of the guest appearances on the album.