Jaz-O

Jonathan Allen Burks Sr. (born October 4, 1964), better known by his stage name Jaz-O (formerly The Jaz and Big Jaz), is an American rapper and record producer. Active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, he became known in retrospect as the mentor of fellow Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z. Burks, nicknamed "the Originator", debuted the artist on his 1986 single "H. P. Gets Busy". Burks signed with EMI to release two studio albums: Word to the Jaz (1989) and To Your Soul (1990). His debut extended play (EP), The Warmup (2021), was the first release from Equity Distribution, a subsidiary of Jay-Z's Roc Nation. He has also been credited with production work for other acts including Puff Daddy, Rakim, Usual Suspects, GZA, Kool G Rap, Queen Latifah, M.O.P., and Group Home, among others.