A court has heard that Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay was shot dead more than two decades ago by his godson as revenge for being cut out of a drug deal.
Karl Jordan Jr, 40, and another man, Ronald Washington, 59, have gone on trial in New York accused of murder.
In their opening statements on Monday, prosecutors claimed the pair carried out an “execution” that was “motivated by greed and by revenge”.
However, their lawyers told the jury they did not kill the pioneering DJ.
Jam Master Jay, real name Jason Mizell, was 37 when he was shot in the head at his recording studio in Queens, New York, in October 2002.
He was one third of Run-DMC, the influential hip-hop group known for 1980s tracks such as It’s Tricky, It’s Like That and Aerosmith collaboration Walk This Way.
Run-DMC are one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history
They spoke against drug culture, even recording a “Just Say No” public service announcement in 1988. But prosecutors said Mizell had become involved as a middle man in cocaine deals to support his lifestyle and those of others close to him as the group’s music career faded.
They said Mr Jordan, who was 18 at the time, and Mr Washington, a friend who was staying with Mizell’s sister, thought they would be part of a deal worth nearly $200,000, and were angered when they were cut out.
Another man, Jay Bryant, will face a separate trial in 2026. He is accused of entering the studio through the front door and letting Mr Jordan and Mr Washington in through a locked back fire exit, before Mr Jordan allegedly shot Mizell with a handgun.
The trial is expected to last four weeks.
