Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam Recordings was founded in 1984 by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, and has represented the very best in cutting edge music and youth culture for 30 years. Def Jam Recordings began as a maverick independent label inspired by a punk ethos and the emerging sound of hip-hop, pioneering iconic stars like LL Cool J, Slick Rick, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Over the following two decades, Def Jam established its dominance with acts like Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man & Redman, Ludacris, Rihanna, Jeezy, and Kanye West. Now in its 30th year, Def Jam’s music and lifestyle has grown into a global brand – synonymous with creativity and authenticity – encompassing a diverse roster of marquee and emerging stars like Kanye, Justin Bieber, Rick Ross, Frank Ocean, Iggy Azalea, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, YG, Afrojack, 2 Chainz, Alesso, The Roots, August Alsina, Jhene Aiko, among others.