Def Jam Recordings
is an American
record label, focused primarily on
hip hop and
urban music, owned by
Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group. In the UK, the label takes on the name
Def Jam UK and is operated through
Mercury Music Group, while in Japan, it is
Def Jam Japan operating through
Universal Sigma Music.Def Jam was created by
Rick Rubin in his dorm room in Weinstein Hall at
New York University[1] and its first release was a single by his punk-rock group
Hose.
Russell Simmons joined Rubin shortly after they were introduced to each other by
Vincent Gallo. The first single released with a Def Jam Recordings logo was
T La Rock &
Jazzy Jay's "It's Yours." The first releases with Def Jam Recordings catalog numbers 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
CBS Records (which would later become Sony Music Entertainment) through
Columbia Records the following year. This created a short-lived subsidiary label called
OBR Records, catered toward R&B artists — the first artist signed to that imprint was
Oran "Juice" Jones, who enjoyed success with his hit single "The Rain". Def Jam also signed its first and only
thrash metal band,
Slayer, in 1986, and the band's debut album was one of only two Def Jam releases to be distributed through
Geffen Records, as opposed to Columbia. As the decade drew to a close, the label signed
Public Enemy, whose controversial lyrical content garnered the company both critical acclaim and disdain.
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 Recordings (now known as
American Recordings). Rubin would take
Slayer with him to Def American in its initial stages.
Def Jam under PolyGram
By 1992, despite recent multi-platinum selling releases from
LL Cool J,
Public Enemy, and
EPMD, Def Jam ran into severe financial troubles and was faced with folding. However, in 1994,
PolyGram purchased Sony's 50% stake in Def Jam Recordings — subsequently bringing the label into its fold. Following PolyGram’s purchase, Def Jam distributed the
Violator Records signed artist
Warren G's
Regulate... G Funk Era album, which went triple platinum and brought much-needed revenue to Def Jam through its distribution deal with Violator.
[3]
PolyGram acquired an additional 9.8% in Def Jam Recordings in 1995, further strengthening its ownership of Def Jam. Shortly thereafter, Rush Associated Labels was renamed Def Jam Music Group. The label remained profitable as its veteran star LL Cool J released his successful album
Mr. Smith in 1995. The label later signed
Foxy Brown, whose debut album
Ill Na Na became a platinum seller in 1997.
Def Jam under Universal Music Group
In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by
Seagram, and the MCA and PolyGram families of labels merged into
Universal Music Group. Following MCA's takeover of PolyGram, it purchased the remaining interest of Def Jam Recordings from Russell Simmons for a reported $100 million. Universal merged Def Jam with
Island Records to form
The Island Def Jam Music Group. In spite of the formation of IDJMG, Def Jam and Island continue to operate as separate imprints underneath the bigger umbrella.
Lyor Cohen was appointed president of IDJMG, and
Kevin Liles succeeded him as president of Def Jam. In 1999, Def Jam created an
R&B spin-off label called Def Soul Recordings, which inherited many of Island Records' urban artists (and also some from
Mercury Records), including
Dru Hill and its lead singer
Sisqó,
The Isley Brothers and
Kelly Price. Def Soul also issued recordings by
Musiq,
Montell Jordan,
Case,
112,
Patti LaBelle, and
Christina Milian. Island's
4th & B'way Records was also folded into Def Jam.
Also in 1999, the label also began distributing releases by
Murder Inc. Records, run by former Def Jam executive
Irv Gotti. Murder Inc.'s roster of artists would include
Ja Rule,
Ashanti,
Lloyd,
Vita. The following year, it launched another subsidiary,
Def Jam South, which focused on
Southern rap and distributed releases from labels such as
Disturbing tha Peace, whose artists have included
Ludacris,
Chingy, and
Bobby Valentino. Russell Simmons tapped Texas-born and raised rap legend
Scarface (aka Brad Jordan) as the original head of Def Jam South. After about a 4-year run at Def Jam South, Scarface negotiated a release from the company in 2003. The label is currently run by Miami-based DJ Khaled.
Def Jam in the 2000sIn 2001, Lyor Cohen announced Def Jam Germany,
the first international Def Jam company. This increased the label's presence around the world. Def Jam Germany signed German rappers Spezializtz, and Philly MC. The label was located in Berlin and opened on May 23, 2000. In addition to signing and marketing local artists, Def Jam Germany also marketed all U.S. signed Def Jam artists in the German territory.
The second international label is a Japanese branch,
Def Jam Japan (デフ・ジャム・ジャパン, Defu Jamu Japan?), also founded in 2000. Its artist roster include
AI,
Teriyaki Boyz and
Nitro Microphone Underground.
In 2003, Def Soul was absorbed into its Def Jam parent. A year later, Murder Inc. became the center of a
money laundering investigation involving illegal profits from
drug trade] leading to the label's eventual release from its distribution contract by 2005.
Roc-A-Fella Records was sold to the company in 2004, by which time it had launched the career of producer-turned-rapper
Kanye West.
DMX helped the company to great heights during 1998 and 1999 selling millions of records and revived hardcore hip hop during this time. The same year, Cohen left IDJMG for
Warner Music Group, and was replaced by former Arista executive
L.A. Reid. An unhappy Liles eventually decided to follow Cohen to Warner.
[6] A bidding war for Jay-Z's contract began, and Reid appointed Jay-Z president of Def Jam.
[6]
Under Jay-Z's leadership, Def Jam launched new successful acts such as contemporary R&B singers like
Rihanna,
Ne-Yo, and
Kanye West. Jay-Z's contract as president of Def Jam was not renewed, forcing him to step down at the end of 2007, remaining with Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings as a recording artist
] Following Jay-Z's resignation as president, L.A. Reid took over leadership of the label, as opposed to hiring a replacement, and promptly signed rapper Luke Death, who was dropped months later, before releasing any music. It was announced in early June 2008 that Def Jam A&R executive
Shakir Stewart, credited with bringing
Rick Ross to the label, would take over as vice president of Def Jam. Stewart committed
suicide on November 1, 2008. Oct 20 2011 Lewis Broome becomes Vice President.
Make certain you've done your homework by training your "instrument" properly. Take voice and music classes, learn to read music and play an instrument -- any instrument. Study dance and other types of movement that will help you maintain a comfortable, agile stage presence during auditions and live performances
Get plenty of live performance experience under your belt. Collaborate with other musicians to get comfortable in the spotlight alone and with others. Pay your dues as you refine your sound and get your dance moves down to perfection. Once you feel comfortable with your musical range,
confidence and stage presence, it's time to cut a demo record so you have a musical pitch tool.
Rent studio time. This is not cheap but there's a lot riding on the demo you'll produce, so don't cut corners.
Book far in advance and come prepared with your score, backup singers, musicians or both after extensive rehearsal. The studio time you rent may come with or without sound engineers; if they're not in place, you'll need to bring your own. Get recommendations from studio managers if you have no contacts in this area. Additionally, a music producer can be your best technical friend, so if you have access to one, bring him or her along as well.
Perform as many takes as are required during your recording session to perfect each piece of music on your playlist. You're paying for your studio time by the hour so if you have to run over, be certain that studio management hasn't tightly booked other artists in close proximity to your booking time. Remember, if you're forced to speed through your songs and arrangements and have no opportunity to tweak the music as you go, your demo may fall short of your expectations.
Obtain multiple copies of your demo CD once you have completed your session. If you've chosen to pursue the route other singers and musicians have taken, consult a directory of talent agents (see link below) and methodically contact those specializing in your music genre (rap, R&B, etc.). Send a cover letter with your demo CD and, if you have one, a head shot so agents can see how you look as well as how you sound. Your biography and/or resume will give potential agents some idea of your past pursuits, so if you have either, include them.
Go directly to Def Jam by sending your demo and background materials to its headquarters at 825 Eighth Avenue, 28th floor, New York, NY 10019. Understand that you may have to wait some time before you hear from Def Jam due to the large number of fledgling music artists seeking to sign with this high-profile label. The wait can be discouraging, but you can take one action that will increase your chances of getting a faster response: include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your demo so Def Jam producers can return your materials if they have no interest in you.
- 7
Don't give up -- even if Def Jam turns you down. There are plenty of other record labels searching endlessly for new talent. They can't find you if you don't find them, so keep mailing those demos out and remember that Reid was over 50 when he finally got that MBA training he had wanted for so many decades. That said, it wouldn't hurt to take a few college classes while you're waiting for that big break.
Read more:
How to Get a Record Deal with Def Jam Records | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5158165_record-deal-def-jam-records.html#ixzz1hxt7OYlU
Def Jam: Fight for NY is the
sequel to
Def Jam Vendetta, a
hip hop-influenced
3D fighting game released for the
GameCube,
PlayStation 2 and
Xbox and is followed by
Def Jam: Icon. The game features several
rappers, including
Snoop Dogg,
Method Man,
Redman,
Fat Joe,
Ice-T,
Xzibit,
Ludacris, and
Busta Rhymes, as well as the voices and likeness of other
actors and
celebrities, among them actors
Omar Epps,
Christopher Judge,
Danny Trejo,
Carmen Electra, and
Kimora Lee Simmons.
DMX,
Keith Murray,
Christina Milian and
Funkmaster Flex were the only artists from the original game that did not appear in the sequel. The game was spun off into a 2006
PlayStation Portable game called
Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover. The game takes place in
New York City.
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.
Talking About New Groups
