Jam Master Jay, 37, was shot in the head Wednesday night around 7:30 p.m. in a Queens recording studio, according to police. Another man, Urieco Rinco, 25, was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, police said. Investigators have found two .45-caliber shell casings,

Rap pioneers

Jam Master Jay was born January 21, 1965 as Jason Mizell in the middle-class Hollis neighborhood of Queens, New York, according to the group's Web site. He linked up with Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) -- also from Hollis -- scratching turntables for the two rappers who had just graduated from high school. A year later, in 1983, the group released their first single, "It's Like That." Known for their loose Adidas-brand shoes, all-black outfits, and thumping beats, the trio is credited with beginning the current trend of combining rap music and rock 'n' roll in their hit remake of Aerosmith's "Walk this Way" in 1986, teaming up with the band's lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. Run-DMC was also the first rap group to be nominated for a Grammy, and the first rappers to have gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums. (Hip-hop world reacts to news of the shooting)

Group avoided feuds

Unlike other rap groups, Run-DMC avoided feuds with other rappers. Run is an ordained minister, DMC overcame alcoholism, and Jam Master Jay was a married father of three children. Any possible link between Jay's death and a rap war was dismissed by Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam records, Run-DMC's original label, and the brother of Joseph Simmons. "They represented everything good and positive about hip-hop," said Russell Simmons in a statement. "Before the media rushes to attribute this to East Coast - West Coast violence, they should examine Run-DMC's two decades of contributions and Jam Master Jay's personal character," he said. "This has nothing more to do with so-called East Coast-West Coast violence than the snipers in Washington did."