This past weekend marked the 19th anniversary of Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay's death. Since being murdered at his recording studio on October 30, 2002, more details have surfaced regarding the Hip Hop pioneer's life outside of music.

Following his death, it was revealed that the DJ was involved in drug dealing after stepping away from life as an entertainer. In a new article, investigative journalist Frank Owen detailed Jam Master Jay's drug enterprise as well as the musician's alleged ties to the Black Mafia Family.

Jam Master Jay reportedly got involved in drug dealing to pay off a debt to the IRS. After Run-DMC's popularity faded, he returned to Queens and started JMJ Records before receiving a large tax bill. One friend claimed Jay paid the IRS but still had a lot of overhead due to the number of people he took care of.

"Jay was scrounging for money even after he paid off the IRS," said friend Eric "Shake" James. "Jay had a lot of overheads. He took care of his mom who moved to North Carolina, he took care of his cousins going to college, he took care of his wife and his kids, he was paying for his sister and her house. That was Jay's biggest problem. He couldn't say no."

Jam Master Jay's drug dealing reportedly elevated from a side hustle after meeting BMF member who he only referred to as "Uncle." One source who allegedly sold drugs with Jam Master Jay described a typical drug transaction, which usually involved moving nearly two-dozen kilograms of cocaine.

"Jay made a call to Uncle and then Jay called me with a phone number," the source said. "I went to meet some dudes at a house in St. Louis. Some guy asked me how much I thought I could move. I said 20 keys. They said 'How are you going to get it back?' I said I was going to drive it. They gave me a phone number and said 'Call this number when you get back so we know you made it.' I walked out with 20 keys of coke just on Jay's name. That's how crazy it was."

After selling the drugs, the source would drive back to St. Louis to deliver BMF's cut or a BMF member would come and collect the money. The source added that the alleged BMF members would charge $18,000 per kilo, but would cut the price depending on how soon they were paid and the types of bills they were paid in.

The source explained why Jam Master Jay would take such a risk with his life and reputation and stated, "You gotta understand, the one thing a street guy wants is a connection to the cartels, a connection to someone who can give him all the cocaine he wants. That's like a unicorn in the drug world. When you find a unicorn, you're not going to walk away from it. Uncle was a unicorn."

Trouble reportedly began for Jam Master Jay when he took a trip to Washington, D.C. The purpose of the trip was to check out the drug trade in the area and introduce Uncle to his associate Yakim, who told him about the opportunity in the area. Jay brought Ronald "Tinard" Washington on the trip but cut him out of the deal after learning Washington robbed Yakim years prior.

Washington allegedly began plotting Jam Master Jay's death as a result of getting cut out of the deal. About 18 years after Jam Master Jay's death, Washington and Karl "Little D" Jordan were charged for the murder. Neither suspect has been convicted, but prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Click the below link to read additional details, including the source's belief that Uncle was Southwest T.

Source: Frank Owen