Jay Bryant Pleads Guilty in Jam Master Jay Murder

Nearly 25 years after pioneering DJ Jam Master Jay was fatally shot in his Queens recording studio, Jay Bryant pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal murder charge for helping others gain entry to ambush the rapper, born Jason Mizell.

Bryant, 52, told a federal magistrate in New York that he assisted unidentified individuals in entering the building on October 31, 2002. "I knew a gun was going to be used to shoot Jason Mizell," Bryant said. "I knew that what I was doing was wrong and a crime." Prosecutors described his role as opening a back fire door, allowing the assailants to enter without alerting Mizell. Evidence included Bryant's DNA on a hat found at the scene and witness accounts of him entering the building. He was already imprisoned on unrelated federal drug and gun charges, to which he also pleaded guilty. Bryant faces 15 to 20 years in prison, though no sentencing date is set.

Mizell, 37 at the time of his death, was the turntablist for Run-DMC, the groundbreaking trio he formed with Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons. The group propelled hip-hop into the mainstream with 1980s hits like "It's Tricky," "My Adidases" and a remake of Aerosmith's "Walk...