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While a Jam Master Jay tribute album is still in the fetal stage, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels has already recorded an homage to his late friend and former DJ.

DMC revealed at Wednesday's taping of the VH1 Big in 2002 Awards that he'll release "I'm Missing My Friend" to radio before the end of the year.

"I ain't talking about him being my DJ," DMC said of the song. "I'm talking about stuff like how he taught me to swim, [how] he used to sit and do crossword puzzles while we was hanging, a lot of stuff people didn't know about him. That's the legacy I want to leave for him."

Proceeds from the "I'm Missing My Friend" single, which DMC added is "a song for anybody who ever lost somebody," will go to Jay's family.

"I want to make sure his kids can go to college when they get 18," DMC said. "'Cause their father was a great musician."

The song will also be included on the rapper's upcoming solo album, Checks, Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll, due early next year and featuring production from Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal.

"I'm going to do something with Pink and hopefully LL Cool J," DMC added. "The bottom line is it's going to be fun."

As for a Jam Master Jay tribute album, DMC said "everybody in the industry is talking about one." Grandmaster Flash, who performed in a tribute to Run-DMC at the VH1 show, said he's received calls about the project but did not know any details.

Meanwhile, Run said he also might record a solo album, although his focus now is on promoting DMC's finished release.

Run-DMC will be honored again at Monday's Billboard Music Awards, this time by Nelly, P. Diddy, Nas and others.

"The reason why we're holding up so good is because of all this love," DMC said Wednesday. "We don't have to go through this by ourselves, 'cause we got a whole world feeling for us."

—Corey Moss, MTV News

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