Long live Jam Master Jay.

Two men were found guilty in the 2022 murder of Jam Master Jay, the hip hop pioneer and DJ of rap group Run-RMC.

On Tuesday (Feb. 27) a jury found Ronald Washington (59), Jay’s childhood friend, and Karl Jordan Jr. (40), Jay’s godson, were both convicted of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and a firearm-related murder.

Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was fatally shot at a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, on October 30, 2002. In 2020, Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. were indicted for Mizell’s murder.

A third defendant, Jay Bryant, was charged in May 2023 with murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and a firearm-related murder/ He allegedly allowed the Washington and Jordan Jr. to enter the studio through the fire escape door. Bryant has pleaded not guilty and is set to go on trial separately in January 2026.

“It’s no mystery why it took years to indict and arrest the defendants,” the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, Breon S. Peace, said outside the courthouse, reports the NY Times.

“The witnesses in the recording studio knew the killers, and they were terrified that they would be retaliated against if they cooperated with law enforcement.”

Photo: Sebastian Piras