Jazzy Jay

Jazzy Jay

Jazzy Jay (b. John Byas in Beaufort, South Carolina, United States, November 18, 1961), also known as The Original Jazzy Jay or DJ Jazzy Jay, is a pioneering American hip hop DJ and producer. He has collected roughly 400,000 records.

Jazzy Jay performing at NAMM

Contents

Background

Jazzy Jay was born into a Gullah family in coastal South Carolina. He moved with his family to New York City at a young age and took up the drums, his first instrument. He began his career in hip hop in the 1970s in The Bronx, New York, the epicenter of hip hop culture during the first decade of its development, at the age of 13. An early member of Afrika Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation, he was a protege of Bambaataa as well as his older cousin, Kool DJ Red Alert. Beginning as a Zulu King dancer in the early 1970s, Jay later became a Universal Zulu Nation DJ and was a member of the Zulu group Jazzy Five, with which he recorded the single "Jazzy Sensation."

Although Jazzy Jay began performing primarily at street parties, in the 1980s he began DJing in New York clubs such as Negril, the Roxy, the Ritz, and Danceteria. He also hosted a hip hop radio program on KISS FM and in 1984 he played himself as The Roxy's DJ in the influential hip hop film Beat Street.

Jazzy Jay and Afrika Islam performed some of the first DJ team routines, and teamed up to battle both Grandmaster Flash (solo) and Grand Wizard Theodore (solo).

Origin of Def Jam Recordings

Around 1984, Jay met Rick Rubin and assisted him in laying the foundation for what would become Def Jam Recordings. The label's first official single was the single "It's Yours" by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay. Jay later introduced Rubin to Russell Simmons, creating one of the most important partnerships in hip hop production. Jazzy Jay also put out Def Jam's third 12" in 1985, entitled "Def Jam" b/w "Cold Chillin' In The Spot," which featured Russell Simmons on vocals.

In 1986, he participated in the recording Planet Rock - The Album, which was certified gold.

Also a producer, Jay founded Jazzy Jay's Studio in the Bronx, where he produced early recordings by Diamond D, Fat Joe, Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, and others. He also began his own label, Strong City Records, through a partnership with Rocky Bucano.

Recent times

More recently, Jazzy Jay was featured in the 2001 turntablism documentary Scratch. In the film, he displays his extensive LP collection (kept in the basement of his home), which he claims comprises at least 300,000 to 400,000 records.

In 2000, Jazzy Jay was inducted into the Technics/DMC DJ Hall of Fame. He sometimes performs together with another hip hop pioneer, Grand Wizard Theodore.

He is also interviewed extensively in the 2003 hip hop documentary 5 Sides of a Coin.

He was featured in the 2004 song "Rock And Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Part 2" by Handsome Boy Modeling School giving a background on himself and on rap as an art form.

He narrated a walking tour of The Bronx, "Hip Hop," by Soundwalk,[1] that won the 2004 Audie award for Best Original Work.[2]

He lives with his wife and three children in Brooklyn, New York. In 2011, his older daughter, Jazmine Byas, graduated from the prestigious Eastman School of Music and is pursuing a career with her oboe.

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Soundwalk. Accessed Sept. 17, 2009.
  2. ^ Audio Publishers Association. Accessed Sept. 17, 2009

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jazzy Five — was a hip hop group founded in the mid 1970s.HistoryIn the mid seventies, in the area of the South Bronx known as Soundview Houses, the story of Hip hop music pioneers, the Jazzy Five MC’s begins.Their founder, the 1st and best rapper in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Jay-Z — (2006) Jay Z (* 4. Dezember 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, bürgerlich Shawn Corey Carter) ist ein US amerikanischer Rapper und Musikproduzent. Er arbeitet zuweilen auch unter den Pseudonymen Hov, Hova, J Hova und Jigga. Jay Z war Chief Executive… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jay-z — (2006) Jay Z (* 4. Dezember 1969 in Brooklyn, New York als Shawn Corey Carter), alias Jigga, Hova, Hov oder J Hova, ist ein US amerikanischer Rapper, Musikproduzent und war CEO der Plattenfirma Def Jam. Des Weiteren führt er die Modefirma… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jay Graydon — is a Los Angeles songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R B category) with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title Producer of the Year and Best… …   Wikipedia

  • Jay-Z — Infobox musical artist Name = Jay Z Img capt = Img size = Background = solo singer Birth name = Shawn Corey Carter Spouse = Beyoncé Knowles Born = birth date and age|1969|12|4 Brooklyn, New York City Occupation = Rapper, songwriter, record… …   Wikipedia

  • Jay-Z — ▪ American rapper and entrepreneur original name  Shawn Corey Carter  born Dec. 4, 1970, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.       American rapper and entrepreneur, one of the most influential figures in hip hop in the 1990s and 2000s.       Shawn Carter grew… …   Universalium

  • Don Jazzy — at UK club Legacy Background information Birth name Michael Collins Ajereh Born November 26, 1982 …   Wikipedia

  • O-Jay — Background information Origin Berlin Genres Pop / Club …   Wikipedia

  • Jam Master Jay — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Jay. Jam Master Jay Surnom JMJ, DJ Jazzy Jase, Jam Master Funk Nom Jason William Mizell Naissance 21 janvier 1965 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Radio (LL Cool J album) — Radio …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”