Jaz-O

Jonathan Allen Burks Sr. (born October 4, 1964), better known by his stage name Jaz-O (formerly The Jaz and Big Jaz), is an American rapper and record producer.

Active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, he became known in retrospect as the mentor of fellow Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z.

"I had been rhyming since I was 14. Do the math on your own! I became a legend on the east coast - which in the 'eighties' was quite remarkable, in about six years. I was always told I was the best most had ever heard. I put out a song in 1985 called 'HP Gets Busy' on our own label (my manager at the time, Jack Walker and I), featuring two of my comrades from Long Island, NY, and my young apprentice, Jay Z. We did shows regionally; NY and Pittsburgh mostly. Meanwhile, I was recording with friend and producer, Fresh Gordon. He helped me get a single deal on Tommy Boy Records after I collaborated on a song with him called 'My Fila' (a response to Run DMC's, 'My Adidas'). A mutual friend of Gordon and I, Marlon Prescott, introduced me to my soon-to-be manager at that time, Stan Poses. In four months Stan solidified a major artist deal for me, and I became the first rap artist ever to sign with EMI Records.

I also became the recipient of the largest advance and recording budget of any rap artist at that time."

Several months after signing with EMI USA, Jaz-O went on a trip to London, where he would record his debut album.

Joining him on the trip was Jay-Z, as well as future Murder Inc Records CEO and producer Irv Gotti, who was Jaz-O's DJ at the time.

After completion, Jaz-O released his debut album Word to the Jaz. The album was produced by Bryan "Chuck" New, Pete Q. Harris and Jaz-O himself.

The album peaked at number 87 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

It featured a guest appearance from Jay-Z on the song "Hawaiian Sophie", which peaked at number 18 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.

The single "Let's Play House"/"Buss the Speaker" peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Burks, nicknamed "the Originator", debuted the artist on his 1986 single "H. P. Gets Busy".

Sometime during the year of 1986, the two lyricists would soon form a short-lived group by the name of High Potent.

Despite the group being short-lived, the two recorded and released several songs throughout 1986, before Jaz-O would go on and get a record deal with EMI USA.

In regards to the signing, he stated:

Burks signed with EMI to release three studio albums: Word to the Jaz (1989), To Your Soul (1990) and Kingz Kounty (2002).

His debut extended play (EP), The Warmup (2021) was the first release from the Roc Nation subsidiary, Equity Distribution.

He has also been credited with production work for other artists including Puff Daddy, Rakim, Usual Suspects, GZA, Kool G Rap, Queen Latifah, M.O.P., and Group Home, among others.

Jonathan Burks was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and raised in Marcy Houses, a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

Originally attending college to become an accountant, he decided to become a rapper after being encouraged by a friend, and being inspired after hearing Grandmaster Caz, as well as UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne."

Being from the same projects as Jay-Z, the two would meet and become friends, with Jaz-O being a rhyme mentor to Jay-Z.

Jaz-O also made a guest appearance on The O'Jays's "Have You Had Your Love Today", which was a single released from their 1989 album Serious.

Jaz-O released his second album To Your Soul on July 16, 1990.

Despite the album not reaching the Billboard charts, its two singles, "The Originators" and "A Groove (This Is What U Rap 2)", peaked at No. 13 and No. 18, respectively, on the Hot Rap Songs chart.

Similar to his debut album, Jay-Z was the only guest, being featured on two songs.

Sometime after the album was released, Jaz-O was dropped from his record label and began to spend time working behind the scenes as a producer.

At some point, Jaz-O connected with The Lox, and produced a demo tape for the group, which would become instrumental to the start of their successful career.

Fellow Yonkers native Mary J. Blige, would receive the tape from a cousin who did music with the trio.

Becoming a supporter of the group, Blige would pass the demo tape on to Bad Boy CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs while on a tour with Jodeci.

Liking what he heard, Puff shortly signed The Lox to a deal.

Throughout the late 1990s, Jaz-O had quite a hand in Jay-Z's early solo success.

Jaz-O produced, and was featured on "Ain't No Nigga," the second single from Jay-Z's 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt.

The song is cited as playing a significant role in securing Jay-Z's record with Def Jam.

Jaz-O then produced "Rap Game / Crack Game," a track that appeared on Jay's second album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, released in 1997.

Jaz-O also produced two tracks for Jay-Z's Streets Is Watching.

The album fared well commercially reaching #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was released on May 12, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings.

In 1999, Jaz-O appeared on Jay-Z's "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)", a single that was released from Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. The song became a big hit in Jaz-O's career at the time.

However, this would be one of the last times the two would work together on music, for their friendship soured shortly afterwards.

The long-standing feud between him and Jay-Z started when Jay-Z started Roc-A-Fella Records and tried to convince Jaz-O and fellow rapper Sauce Money to sign with the label.

They both refused.

It is rumored that they did not trust Roc-A-Fella Records CEO Damon Dash and label co-founder Kareem "Biggs" Burke.