TJ Mizell Talks About His Life And Music
No doubt you’ve heard of Jam Master Jay, but have you heard of Jay’s son, TJ Mizell?
I guess the question is how far from the tree does the apple fall? In Mizell’s case, the answer is not very far. The one thing that I found particularly interesting, and surprising, is that Jam Master Jay never brought a turntable into the house. Instead, Mizell learned how to play violin and percussion at school. It was that kind of personal connection to music that Jay fostered in his children.
Mizell says that he didn’t touch a turntable until he was 15. I think there’s a lot of value to encouraging a love of arts in children without exposing them too much to your own specific talent. Jay may have been a DJ, but he didn’t push that onto his kids. Instead, he encouraged them to find their own source of love and inspiration.
As it turns out, Mizell did end up following in his father’s footsteps. But, the fact that he had years to explore his own influences and ideas before arriving at DJ-ing only makes him a better artist.
