In a world where ''keeping it real'' has become an empty boast, Mizell stuck close to his roots. ''He was one of those rare cats that never changed,'' recalls Chuck D. ''The fact that the studio was 10 minutes away from where he grew up was a testament to that.'' -- Brian M. Raftery, with additional reporting by Evan Serpick


Sign up for EW.com's The 25 newsletter!

Stay in the know and get EW.com's top 5 stories, 5 days a week (sent weekday afternoons).
  • Print
  • Del.icio.us
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Facebook
  • Digg
  • More

Copyright © 2008 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.