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Johnathan Burks, now known as Jaz-O, Big Jaz and Jaz is an East Coast MC, active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for being the mentor of Jay-Z. Jaz is also known as the Originator and had a song called "The Originators" that featured a young Jay-Z
Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter , better known as his stage name, Jay-Z, is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is the former Chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records....
 in 1989. As simply the Jaz, he had success with his 1990 single "Hawaiian Sophie," from his debut album Word to the Jaz.






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Johnathan Burks, now known as Jaz-O, Big Jaz and Jaz is an East Coast MC, active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for being the mentor of Jay-Z. Jaz is also known as the Originator and had a song called "The Originators" that featured a young Jay-Z
Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter , better known as his stage name, Jay-Z, is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is the former Chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records....
 in 1989. As simply the Jaz, he had success with his 1990 single "Hawaiian Sophie," from his debut album Word to the Jaz. He has been featured on some of Jay-Z's songs, such as "Bring it On" (from Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt

Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of United States rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom....
) and the single "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" (from Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life) as Big Jaz and produced the single "Ain't No Nigga" from Reasonable Doubt and the song "Rap Game/Crack Game" from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on November 4, 1997 in music. The album received positive reviews from critics but fans were not embracing Jay-Z's commercialized new image....
. Jaz-O is known to have discovered Jay-Z. Jaz-O claims that Jay-Z got his name from Jaz, something Jay-Z denies.

Jaz was an important figure in the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud. It is also speculated that Jaz-O supplied Nas
Nas

Nasir Jones, , , better known by his stage name Nas, , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapping and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge, Queens housing projects in New York City....
 with some of the information he used in his Jay-Z diss track "Ether." After the situation with Nas cooled down, Jay-Z went on to diss Jaz first on a track released by DJ Kay Slay featuring Freeway
Freeway (rapper)

Leslie Pridgen, better known as Freeway is an United States rapping signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella imprint under Def Jam Recordings. He is notable for rhymes which are checkered throughout his verses, and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith....
, Geda K, Young Chris
Young Gunz

The Young Gunz are a Grammy-nominated Rap music duo from Nicetown, North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are composed of Young Chris and Neef Buck ....
, and Memphis Bleek
Memphis Bleek

Malik Thuston Cox, better known by his stage name of Memphis Bleek or "Memphis Grillz", is a New York rapper currently signed to Roc-A-Fella Records....
 and later on his album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. Jay-Z said on the title track, "I'ma let karma
Karma

Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Indian religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of causality originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhism philosophies....
 catch up to Jaz-O." Jaz responded with a record on a DJ Kay Slay mixtape called "It's Ova."

Despite the long standing feud between mentor and protege, Jay-Z still gives Jaz-O credit for his success (although he disses him at the same time) as heard in the song "I Do It For Hip Hop" on Ludacris
Ludacris

Christopher Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, Grammy Award-winning American rapping. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings....
' Theater of the Mind album. Jay-Z says "Shout out to Grand Master Flash and to Caz and even Jaz bum ass'.

Jaz-O soon released a diss track aimed at Jay-Z for the "I Do It For Hip Hop" diss named 'Go Harder' released in early 2009.

Discography

  • H.P. Gets Busy (1986) with Jay-Z in short-lived group High Potent
  • Word to the Jaz (1989)
  • To Your Soul (1990)
  • Ya Don't Stop 12" EP (1991)
  • Waitin' B/W Foundation 12" Single (1996)
  • Jaz-O B/W Foundation Remix 12" Single (1997)
  • Kingz Kounty (2002)