2 Turntables and a Microphone: The Life and Death of Jam Master Jay

In 2 Turntables and a Microphone, filmmaker Guy Logan presents an often compelling biography of murdered musician Jam Master Jay. Born Jason Mizell, Jam Master Jay met DJ Hurricane in high school in Queens, where the two bonded over a love of hip hop, played house parties, and honed their craft. Hurricane would go on to DJ for the Beastie Boys after Jay persuaded him to take a chance on the trio. In 1983, Jay, Joseph “Run” Simmons, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (who doesn't appear in the documentary), formed Run-DMC, released Sucker M.C.s, and became “the Beatles of hip hop,” as Def Jam publicist Bill Adler describes them—with appearances on MTV, Saturday Night Live, and the cover of Rolling Stone. Musicians from Common to Kid Rock pay tribute to Jay's talent—according to Ja Rule, “Jay is where they got their flavor from.” Other speakers include LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Ice-T, and even Mike Tyson. As the group's popularity waned, Jay poured his energies into running JMJ Records with a shady character named Randy Allen, and while no on in the film claims that Allen engineered Jay's shooting by masked gunmen, most think he had something to do with it (the killing of the Run-DMC disc jockey remains unsolved). Unfortunately, 2 Turntables and a Microphone is devoid of any material by Run-DMC, which diminishes its value. DVD extras include an exclusive interview with Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)