About
New York hip-hop label founded in 1983 by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. It has since gone on to become one of the most well-known hip-hop labels in the world, along the way making stars of the likes of Public Enemy, L.L. Cool J, The Beastie Boys, Redman, and DMX. Chairman and CEO from 2022: Tunji Balogun. See also Def Jam Music Group Inc., Def Jam Recordings Group Inc., Def Jam Recordings Music Group, Def Jam Recordings Music Group Inc., Def Jam 2000, Def Jam Germany. For counterfeit releases, see . History: 1984: Label founded; releases several 12" singles independently. First release was purchased by Streetwise Records and released with a Def Jam logo (and is not considered part of Def Jam today). 1985: Def Jam Recordings began distribution through Columbia/CBS Records. 1988: CBS Records was purchased by the Sony Corporation. 1991: CBS Records became Sony Music Entertainment. 1994: PolyGram purchased 50% of Sony’s Def Jam holdings and switches distribution companies. 1996: PolyGram purchased an additional 10% of the Def Jam holdings, which made it the parent company. 1999: Universal Music Group was formed through the merger of the MCA and PolyGram families of labels and it subsequently purchased the remaining Def Jam holdings that Sony held. All the Def Jam assets were then spun into Island Def Jam Music Group after merging it with Mercury's pop roster and Island Records. 2004: Universal Music Japan begins using the Def Jam Recordings imprint within its Universal Sigma label division for domestic Japanese releases (operating independently of the Island Def Jam Music Group). 2013: Barry Weiss stepped down as Chairman/CEO of both Island and Def Jam. 2014: Universal Music dissolved The Island Def Jam Music Group. Now re-positioned Def Jam, Island Records and Motown separately as all three solo labels. 2017: Universal Music Japan begins using the Def Jam Recordings imprint within its Virgin Music (4) label division for domestic Japanese releases (operating independently of Def Jam). 2024: Def Jam, Island and Republic Records join under UMG's east coast operations as Republic Corps. Label code: LC 08427 / LC 8427.
Sub-labels
Def Jam Recordings Greece
Phat Farm
American clothing brand founded by Russell Simmons.
Def Jam Malaysia
Def Jam ANZ
Def Jam Recordings Finland
Def Jam Recordings Finlandin tavoitteena on nostaa esiin artisteja, joiden musiikissa yhdistyvät raikkaus, laatu ja ajattomuus. Ikoninen hiphop-levymerkki lanseerattiin Suomessa vuoden 2020 alus...
ILH Production Co. LLC
American record company founded by in 2020.
Def Jam Recordings Romania
Def Jam Recordings 50 Series One
Hip Hop's 50th anniversary edition
Def Jam Recordings India
Taylormade Enterprises, Inc.
American record company founded by in 2016.
Def Soul
The New Soul of R&B Flavor Def Jam's third attempt at expanding its R&B and soul roster of artists, after the closure of [url=https://www.discogs.com/label/36707]Original Black Recordings...
Rush Associated Labels
Consider also Manufacturing/Distribution company and copyright holder, division of . In an attempt to diversify the Def Jam brand and extend creative power to fellow artis...
Def Jam South
Def Jam Recordings' southern spin-off label. Presided over by Scarface himself and home to Ludacris, Shawnna and DTP.
DJ West
Def Jam West (or DJ West) was a sublabel formed by Def Jam in 1992 strictly dedicated to the Gangsta Rap genre as well as Hip-Hop acts coming from the West Coast. The first act to be signed to th...
OBR
Out of a desire to branch into R&B after the success of Oran "Juice" Jones, Russell Simmons developed Def Jam's first imprint to distinctify the two genres and keep Def Jam as a strictly Hip-Hop ...
G-Funk Music
Def Jamaica
Intended only as a special collaborative effort between Def Jam and Heineken's music cooperative organization, Red Star, "Def Jamaica" was officially the name of a 2003 Dancehall/Hip-Hop f...
Disturbing Tha Peace
Hip-Hop record label founded by Ludacris, Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon (2), based in Atlanta, GA. Sometimes abbreviated as "DTP". For the record company credits, use:
Def Squad
U.S. American Hip-Hop label.
On Top Entertainment
Contact Label
UMG Headquarters of N.Y.C. 1755 Broadway, Floor #28, New York, NY 10019 UMG Headquarters of Santa Monica 2220 Colorado Avenue, Floor #5, Santa Monica, CA 90404