Def Jam

Def Jam. The two words have been synonymous with a culture, a style and music. Beginning in a dorm room, Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin wanted to make music, hip hop music. Russell had a brother who had a group called Run DMC. Then there was LL Cool J, Slick Rick, and even a movie called Krush Groove. Def meant cool, hip stylish and Def Jam made the music that went with that. That was the beginning.

The second coming of Def Jam began with acts like Onyx, CRU, Method Man, Redman, Ludacris, Ja Rule, Jay Z, Cam'ron, Ashanti, Shyne, Kanye West, Beanie Siegel and others. The music video had been mastered, cable music, radio and internationally the moniker Def Jam is a real living thing. It stands for music, style, culture. DEF JAM!

Now steered under the leadership of LA Reid, who followed in Russell Simmons footsteps in Atlanta with LaFace Records and later Arista Records, Def Jam continues to be that label, that source of music for the people to rock to. Def Jam has spawned Def Soul, Def Jam South and what's next? Where will Def Jam go and do? There is the internet and the re-launched website, satellite, digital radio, and of course more artists, more hits, more tours and more Def Music! Def Jam doesn't stop...the saga continues.

[edit] Beginnings

Def Jam was founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin in Rubin's dorm room at New York University. The first releases on Def Jam Recordings were LL Cool J's "I Need A Beat" and the Beastie Boys' "Rock Hard," both in 1984. The singles sold well, eventually leading to a distribution deal with Columbia/CBS Records the following year. The first full-length album released by Def Jam Recordings was LL Cool J's Radio in December of 1985. A year later, Def Jam created a subisdary label, OBR Records. The label was for R&B artists. The first artist that Def Jam signed was Oran "Juice" Jones, who enjoyed success with his hit single "The Rain".

Lyor Cohen became president of Def Jam in 1988, after winning a power struggle with Rubin, who would shortly thereafter leave the company to form Def American in 1989. CBS Records, meanwhile, was sold to electronics giant Sony as the decade ended and by 1991 had been re-christened into Sony Music Entertainment.

[edit] PolyGram

Despite multi-platinum selling releases from LL Cool J., Public Enemy and EPMD, Def Jam ran into severe financial troubles in the early 1990s and was faced with folding. Salvation came in 1994, however, when PolyGram purchased Sony's 50% stake in Def Jam Recordings -- subsequently bringing the label into their fold. Following PolyGram's acquisition of the company, Def Jam released Warren