Two men have been charged with the nearly 18-year old unsolved murder of Jason Mizell, known as Jam Master Jay of the hip hop trio Run-DMC.
The late DJ was shot in 2002 by a masked man in his recording studio in Queens, New York.
On Monday, prosecutors said Mizell was killed by acquaintances in a “drug related homicide”.
The influential act he formed with Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniel disbanded after his death.
They are famous for tracks such as It’s Tricky and Aerosmith’s Walk This Way.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has alleged that Mizell was murdered by Ronald Washington, 56, and Karl Jordan, 36, who were upset that they had been cut out of a drug deal.
Mr Jordan was arrested on Sunday. His accomplice is currently serving a prison sentence for robbery and will be formally charged next week, officials said.
They have both been charged with murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and other felony offences.
