A man has pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge for his role in the 2002 killing of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay, more than two decades after the iconic DJ was shot dead in a New York recording studio.
Jay Bryant, 52, told a judge on Monday that he helped other people gain entry to the studio to ambush Jason Mizell, known as Jam Master Jay. 'I knew a gun was going to be used to shoot Jason Mizell,' Bryant admitted, adding that he knew his actions were wrong.
Bryant did not name the others involved. Two men, Karl Jordan Jr and Ronald Washington, were convicted in 2024 for the murder, but a judge later cleared Jordan. Washington is challenging his conviction. Bryant's guilty plea introduces further complexity to the long-running case.
According to prosecutors, the killing stemmed from a dispute over a failed cocaine deal. Mizell, 37, was gunned down in Queens in October 2002. Run-DMC, formed with Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels and Joseph 'DJ Run' Simmons, was a pioneering hip-hop group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
Bryant faces a sentence of 15 to 20 years for the murder, along with separate drug and gun charges. His DNA was found on a hat at the scene. No sentencing date has been set.
