Jaz-O
Jonathan Allen Burks Sr.[2] (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. Burks, nicknamed "the Originator", debuted the artist on his 1986 single "H. P. Gets Busy". 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.[3] 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.[4]
Jaz-O
Jonathan Allen Burks
- The Jaz
- Big Jaz
October 4, 1964
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
- Rapper
- songwriter
- record producer
1986–present
- Equity
- Kingz Kounty Media
- Roc Nation[1]
- EMI USA
- Rancore
- High Potent
- The Immobilarie
Early life[edit]
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 followed a friend's advice to become a rapper after hearing Grandmaster Caz, and being inspired by UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne".[5]
Career[edit]
Early years and signing with EMI USA[edit]
Raised in the same projects as Jay-Z, the two would meet and become friends, with Jaz-O being a rhyme mentor to Jay-Z. Sometime during the year of 1986, the two lyricists would soon form a rap 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 to get a record deal with EMI USA.[6] In regards to the signing, he stated:
Musical style[edit]
Influences[edit]
Jaz-O cites Grandmaster Caz as an early influence. Caz was the artist who made Jaz-O decide to become a rapper.[25]
Rhyming style[edit]
Jaz-O was the rapper to pioneer the triplet flow, which allows the rapper to flow far beyond sixteen syllables within the 4/4 time signature, being able to add extra syllables to the sixteen multiplies the syllables into twenty-fourths, which makes a triplet of an eighth. Since the 1990s, the triplet rhyme technique has become a common distinction among some of the most respected hip-hop lyricists. Several rappers who are well known for the technique include his former apprentice Jay-Z, Twista, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, as well as Fu-Schnickens, Spice-1, and Tech N9ne.[26]
Personal life[edit]
Jaz-O was known to be a visible figure in the Nuwaubian Nation during the 1980s. Nuwaubian beliefs and symbolism were prominent in the earlier years of his music career, and Nuwaubian fashion influenced his wardrobe.[27]