The Jaz

The Jaz was the stage name used by Brooklyn-born rapper and producer Jonathan Burks (born October 4, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York) during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Under this name, he released his debut album Word to the Jaz in 1989 on EMI, which featured the single “Hawaiian Sophie” with a young Jay-Z.
He was one of the first MCs from Brooklyn to sign with a major label, recognized for his complex rhyme patterns and early adoption of rapid-fire flows. The alias "The Jaz" was used primarily through the early 1990s, before he began releasing music and production work under the name Jaz-O.