The J.A.M. Awards are the first awards in the hip-hop community to recognize social responsibility. The awards will honor the late Jam Master Jay’s life and legacy and his efforts to promote social Justice, Arts and Music (”J.A.M.”) worldwide.

One honoree will be selected every year from each of the fields of social Justice, the Arts and Music, based on the impact they have made and their record of helping others. The inaugural J.A.M. Awards will be launched at a star-studded tribute concert held in honor of Jam Master Jay and hosted by his wife.

The Live Show will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, on November 29, 2007. The night will feature all-star performances from top artists and the presentation of the inaugural J.A.M. Awards.

Artists Confirmed to participate include Snoop Dogg, DMC, Mobb Deep, Raekwon, De La Soul, Jim Jones, Papoose, M.O.P., Everlast Feat. DJ Muggs, Q-Tip, Dead Prez, Kid Capri, Marley Marl, DJ Kayslay and special guests.

They were poets without patrons. Their music gave them someone to be, and for the countless millions who listened, hip-hop became a way of life. An urban groundswell of art and music, dance and culture that redefined it all. At times like these, the world has its own words for hip hop. So now more than ever, the voice of a generation must speak as one to silence its critics with a new word — hope.

The Jam Master Jay Foundation For Music is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based on the simple premise that, regardless of socio-economic status, every child deserves equal access to the arts. That social Justice, Arts and Music (”J.A.M.”) education should be in every school in the country, to give children the chance to expand their world-view through artistic expression. Its directors include Terri Corley-Mizell, DMC, Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen, Eric Blamoville, Jesse Itzler, Stephen Nitkin, Rob Principe, Constance Schwartz, Cathy Symeonidas, Ivan Taback and David Weisswasser.