Jam Master Jay aka Jason Mizell was shot in Queens in October 2002.
Stateside jury selection in the trial of the murder of rap artist Jam Master Jay began on Monday, reports news agency AFP.
Jam Master Jay, real name Jason Mizell, a 37-year-old father of two and member of the group Run DMC, was murdered in New York City on October 30, 2002, while at his studio in the borough of Queens. Two men arrived, and the musician was fatally shot in the head. In addition, another man in the studio was shot in the leg.
The trial focuses on the events of the day of the murder.
The murder case remained unsolved for nearly two decades until federal prosecutors announced in August 2022 that they would file charges Ronald Washington59, and Karl Jordan Jr40, against.
Washington and Jordan are imprisoned in Brooklyn, New York. Jordan, who was only 18 at the time of the incident, is also accused of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Mizell had purchased cocaine that Washington and Jordan were to resell in Maryland. However, the men had a dispute, due to which Mizell did not want Washington involved in the drug trade, which, according to the prosecutors, led to the planning of the murder.
The incident over the years, the researchers who worked on it have discovered several possible motives for the murder. According to the researchers, one of them was the shooter or shooters' grudge against another rap artist 50 Cent to a spot that collaborated with Jam Master Jay. However, no connection to 50 Cent was found, and eventually researchers dismissed the theory.
Jam Master Jay's murder was preceded by 1990s rap celebrities Tupac Shakur's and Notorious BIGthe deaths of
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