Def Jam Records, created by hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons, is one of the most successful black-owned record labels in the history of the United States. Its success and influence on music and popular culture are paralleled only by Motown Records in the 1960s and 1970s.

Def Jam Records: Hip-Hop Harbingers Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons managed several pioneer hip-hop acts, including Run-D.M.C., through their Rush Management agency, and in 1984 they set up their own Def Jam label; shortly thereafter, Columbia Records made a deal with the label and became its distributor.

Frederick Jay Rubin (/ˈruːbɪn/, ROO-bin; born March 10, 1963) is an American record executive and record producer. He is a co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Long Beach, New York, U.S.

Universal Music Group The Island Def Jam Music Group is a wholly owned business unit of Universal Music Group.

hip-hop music Founded in 1984, Def Jam Recordings has represented the cutting-edge in hip-hop music for more than 35 years.

Def Jam is arguably hip-hop's most successful label ever, but its success came from a wide spectrum of big-name artists. LL Cool J was nothing like the Beastie Boys.

Def Jam Recordings has been the preeminent hip-hop label for the better part of the last three and a half decades, and the best Def Jam songs define hip-hop's evolution over that period. For a genre where tastes can (and do) change like the wind, this is an unparalleled accomplishment.

In the commercial world, "the recording industry" - a reference to recording performances of songs and pieces and selling the recordings–began to be used as a loose synonym for "the music industry".

The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by Universal Music Group. It consists of labels created under the basic operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings.

As of 2023, Def Jam's current roster includes Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Alessia Cara, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Dave East, Jeezy, Jeremih, Pusha T, Fabolous, Jhené Aiko, Coco Jones, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Jadakiss, YG, Muni Long, Buju Banton, Fridayy, Benny the Butcher, Trinidad Cardona, DaniLeigh, Fredo Bang, Nasty C, ...

The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by Universal Music Group. It consists of labels created under the basic operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings.

Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.

Rubin designed the Def Jam label himself in the offices of his aunt, Carol Tomberg, a stylish single career woman who lived in Manhattan and rose to become head of creative services at Estée Lauder. “She never had kids, and I was an only child,” he recalls.