This is the story of Def Jam in the words of its artists and top executives, taken from interviews and seamlessly told as a narrative of no-holds-barred recollections and anecdotes, made even more compelling by the fact that DJ is one of the last great record labels to enjoy the widespread cultural influence that it does, in light of the increasing digitisation of music. Def Jam celebrates a label that defined hip-hop and whose impact extends beyond its incredible roster of recording artists to all areas of culture - fashion, lifestyle, cinema, art - impacting the business and pop culture forever.
Founded in 1984 in an NYU dorm room, Def Jam also shows how an aspiring record producer and punk-rocker like Rick Rubin and concert promoter Russell Simmons came together to define an entirely new culture and lifestyle. The second half of the book covers the period from the early 90s on, when, under the new leadership of Lyor Cohen, Def Jam entered its second golden age, with multi-platinum stars including Redman, Method Man, Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, DMX, Ludacris, Ja Rule, Rihanna, and Kanye West.
The book includes exclusive interviews with the label's key players as well as superb photography from some of the best-known photographers of the era, including Albert Watson, Glen E. Friedman, Ricky Powell, Janette Beckman, Laura Levine, Lynn Goldsmith, and Jonathan Mannion. It will also feature rare memorabilia from personal archives of the label's movers and shakers: behind-the-scenes photos, flyers, advertisements, movie posters, album cover art, magazine covers, and press clips from around the world. It is an insider's portrait of the last great record label.
