| A Tree Wilts in Queens |
November
2002 |
Jam Master Jay, R.I.P.
Jason Mizell was shot once in the head just a couple of minutes drive from the office of the Kensington Review. His death, though, hit closer to home than geography would suggest. As one third of Run DMC, Jam Master Jay helped put rap and hip-hop on the map, taking it out of the ghetto and into the strip mall.
Music in America reflects the diverse ethnicities of the country. Everyone is from someplace else, and music is easily carried from one place to another. Jazz, Country & Western, Rock 'n' Roll, all of it has its roots elsewhere, and at the same time, all of it is deeply American. However, music divides youth in America. "Whites got Bandstand, and Blacks got Soul Train," to misquote David Bowie.
Yet, Run DMC crossed the divide and got their fans to do the same. The first rappers on MTV, the first with a gold record, then platinum, their real impact was in getting Brad and Todd in the suburbs to wear their baseball caps backwards. Kidd Rock and Eminem are standing on the shoulders of Jay and his partners -- they do so proudly. And more than one middle-aged white guy turned up at the murder site in Hollis, Queens, New York to say good-bye.
Loads of bad TV will come out of the trial, when they catch the killer, and tons of foolish things will be written about rap, hip-hop and violence as it goes on. At some point, it would be nice if someone would play "The King of Rock" from beginning to end. Res ipsa loquitor.