ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay?
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Docu about the murder of influential DJ has strong language.
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ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay?
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What's the Story?
REMASTERED: WHO KILLED JAM MASTER JAY? explores the events surrounding the October 30th, 2002 murder of the influential Run DMC DJ. It traces the life and music career of Jam Master Jay (neé Jason Mizell), his influence on rap music, fashion, and style, and the meteoric rise of Run DMC. It explores Mizell's life in Hollis, Queens, and his connections to his community throughout his life. The circumstances of Mizell's murder are broken down through a retracing of the moments before, during, and immediately after the homicide, and through interviews with Mizell's friends and family. Mizell's unsolved murder is used as a jumping-off point to highlight societal issues such as the strained relationships between urban communities and the police, as well as the disturbing pattern of murdered rappers whose assailants are often never caught and charged with the crime.
Is It Any Good?
Part biography, part musical history, and part true crime, this documentary manages to convey so much in under an hour. Friends and family discuss Jam Master Jay's impact on Run DMC's sound and image, and how he helped rap find an international audience while never forgetting his roots in Hollis, Queens. The unsolved 2002 murder of Jam Master Jay, aka Jason Mizell, is reconstructed, going through the list of suspects and their motives, and while ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay? could have done the typical basic-cable sensationalized "true crime" route, the documentary makers dared to dig deeper.
Mizell's murder is the starting point to explore how his unsolved homicide is part of a much larger problem. Namely, the strained relationships between people of color in urban areas and the police. Why is Mizell's case one of many of rappers getting killed and their assailants literally getting away with murder? How does his murder highlight the assertions made by African American communities that there's one standard of justice for some and no justice for others? The balance between all of these issues and the story itself is impressive and should inspire discussion among families about not just who they think committed the murder, but also why it has remained unsolved in the first place.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about music documentaries. How does ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay? compare to other documentaries centered on music and/or musicians?
How did the documentary use the murder of Jam Master Jay as a starting point to discuss broader issues?
How did the documentary balance biography with musical history?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 7, 2018
- Cast: Jam Master Jay , Russell Simmons , Darryl McDaniels
- Director: Brian Oakes
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 58 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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