# Jaz-O
**Jaz-O** is the stage name of Jonathan Burks (born 1964), an American rapper and producer from Brooklyn, New York, best known as the early mentor of Jay-Z and as a recording artist of the late 1980s and early 1990s East Coast hip-hop scene.[1](https://rap.fandom.com/wiki/Jaz-O) He has also recorded as The Jaz and Big Jaz, and his credits span more than three decades as an MC, producer, and label executive.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jaz-o-mn0001403354)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964, Brooklyn, New York; also known as The Jaz and Big Jaz[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jaz-o-mn0001403354) • [3](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/76897-jaz-o/?type=lp) |
| Debut album | *Word to the Jaz*, released 1989 on EMI USA[4](https://thesource.com/2025/05/02/today-in-hip-hop-history-jaz-o-dropped-his-debut-album-word-to-the-jaz-36-years-ago/) |
| Jay-Z connection | Gave the young Shawn Carter his first recording appearances, including the 1989 single "Hawaiian Sophie"[5](https://uk.complex.com/music/a/frazier-tharpe/jay-z-encyclopedia) |
| Second album | *To Your Soul* (1990), released under the name The Jaz[3](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/76897-jaz-o/?type=lp) |
| Kingz Kounty | *Kingz Kounty* with The Immobilarie, released March 26, 2002; DJ Premier among the producers[6](https://www.allmusic.com/album/kingz-kounty-mw0000215712) |
| Return | *The Warmup* (2020), his first studio album in 18 years, released through his Kingz Kounty Media Group imprint with Roc Nation's Equity Distribution[7](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83600/Jaz-O-The-Warmup/) • [8](https://whatwentrightwith.com/2020/02/13/what-went-right-with-the-warm-up-by-jaz-o/) |
| Style claim | Cites originating a rhyming approach using different time signatures, the triplet style and double-time[9](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/) |
## Early life and start in rap
Jaz-O grew up in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New York, and has described the hard-nosed environment children faced there amid heroin's impact on his community. He began rapping at age 14.[10](https://certifiedbootleg.com/jaz-o-on-growing-up-in-marcy-projects-in-brooklyn-starting-to-rap-at-14-part-1/) In interviews he recalls that hip-hop in Brooklyn in that period was largely borrowed from the Bronx and uptown Manhattan; he and a few friends brought that feel to their area of Bed-Stuy and Marcy after first encountering it at his high school for music and art.[11](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/224835-jaz-o-is-the-originator-reflections-on-jay-z-big-and-creating-the-triplet-flow-news)
## Mentor to Jay-Z
The meeting with a young Shawn Carter came through an arranged rap battle in Brooklyn. When Jay-Z arrived, Jaz-O proposed something less confrontational: "Let him rhyme, it doesn't have to be a battle." On hearing him, Jaz-O said he heard something he had never heard before, praising the cadence and raw talent.[12](https://content.alfred.com/catpages/74-1591848342.pdf) The two became close collaborators. Jaz-O taught Jay-Z poetic devices such as metaphor, simile, and onomatopoeia, advised him to hone his craft privately, and showed him how to record his voice on a tape recorder with an attached microphone, an experience Jay-Z later described as sparking an obsession with recording.[12](https://content.alfred.com/catpages/74-1591848342.pdf) • [13](https://api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/11447dc7-6376-4b2c-84cf-55d95e45d6c1/content)
In 1987 Jaz-O signed a recording contract with EMI, and in 1989, while riding high on fanfare for his pioneering triplet flow, he took Jay-Z with him to London to record, where the single "Hawaiian Sophie" was taped at [Battery Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/battery-studios). Jay-Z appeared in the song and its video, one of his first appearances on record.[9](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/) • [14](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/371816-when-hip-hops-mentees-become-the-mentors-news) On his 1990 sophomore project, then billed as The Jaz, he gave the newly renamed Jay-Z two feature spots to display his prowess.[14](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/371816-when-hip-hops-mentees-become-the-mentors-news) Jaz-O's tutelage was widely credited with sharpening Jay-Z's lyrics, delivery, and syncopation, and some observers speculate that the name Jay-Z partly honors his mentor, though Jay-Z himself says it shortened his childhood nickname Jazzy.[12](https://content.alfred.com/catpages/74-1591848342.pdf)
## Recording career
Jaz-O's debut album *Word to the Jaz* was released in 1989 under the EMI USA imprint, followed in 1990 by *To Your Soul*.[4](https://thesource.com/2025/05/02/today-in-hip-hop-history-jaz-o-dropped-his-debut-album-word-to-the-jaz-36-years-ago/) • [3](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/76897-jaz-o/?type=lp) In his own account of career achievements, he describes himself as the first rap artist ever signed to [EMI Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/emi-records) in 1988 and the first artist to record hip-hop at the legendary D&D Studios in New York, a studio he credits as instrumental in shaping the genre's golden era.[9](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/)
**Kingz Kounty and The Immobilarie.** In 2002 he released *Kingz Kounty* with his crew The Immobilarie, a 19-track album recorded partly at D&D Studios and Baseline Studios in New York and featuring [DJ Premier](https://www.edgepedia.org/dj-premier) as a producer, JAŸ-Z as a guest on "Let's Go," and appearances from M.O.P., Mr. Cheeks, and Grandmaster Caz.[6](https://www.allmusic.com/album/kingz-kounty-mw0000215712) The Immobilarie later disbanded; Jaz-O attributes the split to "one bad apple."[9](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/) He also moved increasingly into production work, and in this period a demo he made with [The Lox](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-lox) helped get the group signed to Bad Boy.[15](https://www.vladtv.com/article/279906/jaz-o-on-why-he-never-signed-jay-z-or-co-owned-roc-a-fella-records)
## The split and reconciliation with Jay-Z
The two men's relationship broke down in the years after Jay-Z's rise, and the fallout became a long-running controversy among fans.[7](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83600/Jaz-O-The-Warmup/) Jaz-O has explained that he never signed Jay-Z or co-owned [Roc-A-Fella Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/roc-a-fella-records), and chose not to put his close friend under a management deal.[15](https://www.vladtv.com/article/279906/jaz-o-on-why-he-never-signed-jay-z-or-co-owned-roc-a-fella-records) In 2017 Jaz-O joined Jay-Z on stage during the 4:44 tour, ending the separation. In a 2020 interview he described re-establishing contact after nearly twenty years of non-communication at the [United Center](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-center) in Chicago, followed months later by a handshake deal in Detroit during the [On the Run II Tour](https://www.edgepedia.org/on-the-run-ii-tour).[7](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83600/Jaz-O-The-Warmup/) • [9](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/)
## Return with The Warmup
In April 2019 Jaz-O revealed he had signed a deal with [Roc Nation](https://www.edgepedia.org/roc-nation), Jay-Z's company, and after the 4:44 tour his Kingz Kounty company merged into a subsidiary of Roc Nation's Equity Distribution.[16](https://www.complex.com/music/a/edwin-ortiz/equity-distribution-roc-nation-independent-company) • [7](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83600/Jaz-O-The-Warmup/) In 2020 he released *The Warmup*, his first studio album in 18 years, a ten-track, roughly 36-minute record released on his Kingz Kounty Media Group imprint and distributed by Equity Distribution, with no guest appearances. The album pairs his late-1980s flow with throwback production and includes the singles "M-A-R-See-Why," a tribute to Marcy Projects, and "In My Sleep."[7](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83600/Jaz-O-The-Warmup/) • [8](https://whatwentrightwith.com/2020/02/13/what-went-right-with-the-warm-up-by-jaz-o/)
## Legacy
Jaz-O's standing rests on two claims. The first is as a link in East Coast hip-hop's lineage: an early EMI-signed Brooklyn MC who gave Jay-Z his first studio exposure and first tour experiences, work for which Jay-Z's own name may partly pay homage.[12](https://content.alfred.com/catpages/74-1591848342.pdf) • [14](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/371816-when-hip-hops-mentees-become-the-mentors-news) The second is stylistic. He says he originated a style of rhyming built on different time signatures, triplet style and double-time, that he believes revolutionized rap and continues to influence it, a claim echoed in coverage that describes his "pioneering triplet flow."[9](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/) • [14](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/371816-when-hip-hops-mentees-become-the-mentors-news) He has also announced plans for a seven-volume autobiography documenting his years in hip-hop's foundational period.[17](https://allhiphop.com/news/jaz-o-reveals-sweet-secret-behind-jay-zs-early-rap-development/)
## References
1. [Jaz-O, Rap Wiki (Fandom)](https://rap.fandom.com/wiki/Jaz-O)
2. [Jaz-O — Biography, Discography & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jaz-o-mn0001403354)
3. [Jaz-O Albums, Songs — Discography, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/76897-jaz-o/?type=lp)
4. [Today In Hip Hop History: Jaz-O Dropped His Debut Album 'Word To The Jaz' 36 Years Ago, The Source](https://thesource.com/2025/05/02/today-in-hip-hop-history-jaz-o-dropped-his-debut-album-word-to-the-jaz-36-years-ago/)
5. [The Jay Z Encyclopedia, Complex](https://uk.complex.com/music/a/frazier-tharpe/jay-z-encyclopedia)
6. [Jaz-O: Kingz Kounty Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/kingz-kounty-mw0000215712)
7. [Jaz-O - The Warmup (album review), Sputnikmusic](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83600/Jaz-O-The-Warmup/)
8. [What Went Right With… The Warm Up by Jaz-O?](https://whatwentrightwith.com/2020/02/13/what-went-right-with-the-warm-up-by-jaz-o/)
9. [Jaz-O: Originator, The Hype Magazine](https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2020/02/24/jaz-o-originator/)
10. [Jaz-O on Growing Up in Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, Starting to Rap at 14 (Part 1), Certified BOOTLEG / VladTV](https://certifiedbootleg.com/jaz-o-on-growing-up-in-marcy-projects-in-brooklyn-starting-to-rap-at-14-part-1/)
11. [Jaz-O Is The Originator: Reflections On Jay-Z, B.I.G, & Creating The Triplet Flow, HotNewHipHop](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/224835-jaz-o-is-the-originator-reflections-on-jay-z-big-and-creating-the-triplet-flow-news)
12. [Jay-Z biography cat page (Jaz-O mentorship passages), Alfred Publishing](https://content.alfred.com/catpages/74-1591848342.pdf)
13. [University of Maryland dissertation on Jay-Z (Jaz-O mentorship passages)](https://api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/11447dc7-6376-4b2c-84cf-55d95e45d6c1/content)
14. [When Hip-Hop's Mentees Become The Mentors, HotNewHipHop](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/371816-when-hip-hops-mentees-become-the-mentors-news)
15. [EXCLUSIVE: Jaz-O on Why He Never Signed Jay-Z or Co-Owned Roc-a-Fella Records, VladTV](https://www.vladtv.com/article/279906/jaz-o-on-why-he-never-signed-jay-z-or-co-owned-roc-a-fella-records)
16. [What You Need to Know About Equity, Roc Nation's Independent Distribution Platform, Complex](https://www.complex.com/music/a/edwin-ortiz/equity-distribution-roc-nation-independent-company)
17. [Jaz-O Reveals "Sweet" Secret Behind Jay-Z's Early Rap Development, AllHipHop](https://allhiphop.com/news/jaz-o-reveals-sweet-secret-behind-jay-zs-early-rap-development/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › East Coast rap (New York and Philadelphia) › Golden era East Coast rap (1980s–1990s)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license