Greed and revenge drove 2 men accused of killing Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay, prosecutors say

By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors argue that two men accused of killing Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay were both close to the trailblazing DJ but were driven by greed and revenge when they ambushed him at his recording studio than 20 years ago. Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. went on trial Monday. Prosecutors say they killed the 37-year-old DJ in 2002 after being cut out of a cocaine deal. The case languished for almost two decades until their arrest in 2020. Jam Master Jay worked the turntables for Run-DMC as the group helped bring hip-hop into the mainstream in the 1980s with hits like “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way.”