John "Jazzy Jay" Byas was born in Beaufort, South Carolina. At young age, his family moved to New York City, in the seventies he approaches hip-hop, becoming an early member of Afrika Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation, and a protégé of Bambaataa himself along with his older cousin, Frederick "Kool DJ Red Alert" Crute.
Jazzy Jay begins as Zulu King dancer, then became a DJ and member of the group Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy Five in the mid-seventies, with MC Sundance, Disco King Mario, Master Bee and Charlie Choo. In 1981 the group publishes the single "Jazzy Sensation" with The Kryptic Crew and Tina B for Tommy Boy Records. Despite Jazzy Jay began performing at street parties, in the eighties he began DJing in New York clubs, hosting a hip-hop radio program and in 1984 he played himself as The Roxy's DJ in the influential hip hop movie "Beat Street".
Jazzy Jay and Afrika Islam performed some of the first DJ team routines and teamed up to battle both Grandmaster Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore. In early eighties, Jazzy Jay is part of the Afrika Bambaataa's group Soulsonic Force with Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, and MC G.L.O.B.E. They drop several singles with Tommy Boy, such as "Planet Rock" (1982), "Renegades of Funk!" (1983) and "Looking for the Perfect Beat" (1983), releasing the seminal debut album "Planet Rock - The Album" in 1986. Then the group disbanded and Jazzy Jay forms the hip-hop group Bronx Vice with his cousin Red Alert, Grandmaster D (of Whodini), and Grandwizard Tony D aka Tony D, publishing the unique single "Ziggy-Zag", a posse with Betty Boo for Starlite Records.
Around 1984, Jazzy Jay meets Rick Rubin, assisting him in laying the foundation of his won label, the future Def Jam Recordings. The label's first official single is "It's Yours", created by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay. Later, Jazzy Jay introduced Rubin to Russell Simmons. After publishing a single with Atlantic ("Son of Beat Street"), in 1985 the DJ releases the third single of Def Jam, "Def Jam / Cold Chillin' in the Spot". After the single with Bronx Vice, he collaborates with Seville, publishing singles between 1986 and 1988 with NV, sub label of Cutting Records. In the same period, Jazzy Jay founded Jazzy Jay's Studio in the Bronx and began his own label, Strong City Records, releasing the single "Back to the Lab" in 1989, with UNI Records.
In 1989, he drops a compilation that includes cuts by half a dozen artists, released by Strong City Records and UNI Records, distributed by MCA. The disk is produced by him along with Tony D., DJ Shabazz (of Masters of Ceremony, group which includes Grand Puba), Diamond D, Joe Scruggs, Rohan Robotham and Congo Square Productions. The performers are Ultimate Force (Diamond D and Master Rob, rapper of The Fantastic Five, group including DJ Grand Wizard Theodore), Nu-Sounds, Papa Jam, Tony D., D-Ice, Jazzy Jay, Raheem, Ice Cream Tee, MobVersa, Outlaw Gangster, Def Duo, Grandwizard and The Freaks.
In the midst of these unknown tracks, by unknown artists in an album hidden in the dusty 1989 drawer of hip hop section, some gems emerge: the instrumental of Jazzy Jay "Do What You Gotta Do" is among the best pieces, it's a splendid interlude that presents a jazzy-funky rhythm with frantic cymbals and a nice soulful female sample in the background. There are several honest songs, and it's at least curious how the best performances seem to come from lesser-known cats, obviously with due precautions: from a group called "Outlaw Gangster" — composed by the younger brother of Jazzy Jay, Michael "Lil' Jazzy Jay" Byas; in 1985 he was part of the group Lil' Jazzy Jay & Cool Supreme who released a unique single ("B-Boys Style") produced by Jazzy Jay for Easy Street Records with no success — you can't expect too much.
Overall, the production of this comp is a well formulated mix of jazzy and funky which, despite the mediocre deliveries of the rappers, guarantees accessible and pleasant tracks: "Def Is The Status" is plagued by MobVersa's average syncopated delivery, which however doesn't dominate the rhythm, a minimal boom bap with excellent jazzy samples. If you arrive unpretentious you find yourself with a pretty enjoyable record.
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