Police in New York are confident they will find the killer of Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay. Detective Bernard Porter Jr told reporters: "I am confident that being the person who Jay was and the legacy he left, that the person who has the information will do the right thing and come forward and help us out. If Jay was just a street guy who was in the mix and at the wrong place at the wrong time, it would take longer to solve. We are expecting help from the community. That phone call might come five minutes from now, it might come tomorrow, it might come a few days from now. One thing I feel good about is that it's gonna come because of who Jay was. He was loved and respected. People might come forward with information, they might not be doing it for any personal gain, they'll be doing it for him."
He confirmed police had recovered ballistic evidence from the crime scene but gave no more details about the case. However he did say he gave no credence to tabloid suggestions that Jay’s death was related to a rap rivalry. "It's unfortunate and it's got to be hurtful to his friends in the hip-hop community that some in the media say it 's a rap war, condemning him and his profession. We're not doing that."
Jay’s family have announced they will hold a wake on Monday at the Jay Foster-Phillips Funeral Home in Queens, there will be a public viewing between 7 and 9pm, with a funeral at the Allen A.M.E Cathedral, 110-31 Merrick Blvd tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10am. Any fans wishing to make a donation in Jay’s honour can send cheques to the Mizell Children's Fund, c/o Terri Corley-Mizell, P.O. Box 3497, New Hyde Park, NY 11040.
Rapper 50 Cents, meanwhile, has cancelled a concert due to threats to his life that followed Jay’s fatal shooting. Some reckon a song by 50 Cents, a new signee to Eminem's Shady Records, which was produced by Jam Master Jay, may have been a motive for the recent attack. The New York Daily News has reported that "detectives are investigating whether other rappers felt insulted by a song on 50 Cent's latest record, which was produced by Jam Master Jay”. Police chiefs won’t comment on the rumours, though they confirmed threats to 50 Cents were credible enough to cause concern and that they had offered him protection. However it seems the rapper chose to leave town instead.
50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, is used to controversy. He was shot in 2000 shortly before the release date of ‘Power of the Dollar’ – an incident which persuaded Sony label Columbia not to release the track.