Jason Mizell

A pioneering figure in the development of hip-hop, Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell provided the concrete, stripped-down beats for Run-D.M.C., the highly influential rap group he co-founded in 1982 and brought to stardom throughout the 1980s before his murder in 2002. Mizell's contributions to the rap genre were nothing short of transformative; with his bandmates, he brought hip-hop out of the disco and away from a dance-driven sound, favoring instead bunker-busting beats over aggressive vocals. Mizell also brokered some of the earliest collaborations between rap and rock with "Rock Box" and "Walk This Way," a Top 5 single for the band in 1989. His signature attire - black coat, black hat, white sneakers - also brought street sense to hip-hop fashion. When Run-D.M.C.'s fortunes waned in the early 1990s, Mizell launched his own label, which brought such hit acts as 50 Cent and Onyx to the forefront of the genre. His murder in 2002 was nothing short of a tragedy in hip-hop circles, which paid tribute to the musician as a fallen leader. Mizell's impact upon rap was among the most significant contributions to popular music of the late 20th century.