Def Jam Recordings has spent the past 30 years bringing Hip-Hop to the masses, and now Universal Music Group (UMG) will mark the label’s 30th anniversary with a year-long celebration. UMG and Def Jam have assembled a #DefJam30 team to work with many of its artists and innovators, from 30 years ago to today, on a number of projects including albums, events, films and more that will be revealed in the weeks ahead via social media and the website www.defjam30.com.
Label founders Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons stated: “It’s hard to believe it was 30 years ago when we first put the Def Jam logo on a hip-hop recording at an NYU dormitory. Since that time we have seen this homegrown American music grow from a local underground scene to a worldwide phenomenon. Today Def Jam remains the gold standard for taste, culture, and revolutionary thought. To quote the Chuck D line: ‘Def Jam tells you who I am…'”
Over the past three decades, Hip-Hop legends as well as modern innovators such as LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Kanye West, Public Enemy and Jay-Z have called Def Jam their home. Today’s Def Jam roster includes an even wider range of artists from Frank Ocean to August Alsina to Big Sean and 2 Chainz.
