Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay, shot to death in the video lounge of his Queens, N.Y., recording studio last week at the age of 37, was fondly eulogized at his funeral Tuesday in the neighborhood where he worked and lived.
"Jam Master Jay was not a thug," bandmate Darryl "DMC" McDaniels emphasized to the overflow crowd inside the Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Queens, the Associated Press reports. "Jam Master Jay was not a gangster. Jam Master Jay was a unique individual ... He was the embodiment of hip-hop."
McDaniels -- who for 20 years was part of Run-DMC along with Jay (real name: Jason Mizell) and Joseph "Run" Simmons -- delivered a rap from the group's classic song "Jam Master Jay," as the entire audience inside the church joined in to shout out the slain DJ's name.
Those attending the service included Simmons's brother, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, and performers LL Cool J, Chuck D and Queen Latifah. A fleet of white limos was parked outside the house of worship, while inside, McDaniels stood at the altar surrounded by more than a dozen funeral wreaths -- including one in the shape of twin turntables.
Following the funeral, the DJ was due to be buried at a Westchester County cemetery.
Meanwhile, Jam Master Jay's killer -- or killers -- remains on the loose as police report little progress in their hunt for whoever fired a single .40-caliber bullet to Jay's head as he played video games last Wednesday night.
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