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Def Jam Recordings

By Katharina Krebs

The Island Def Jam Music Group is home to a diverse and unparalleled family of artists - from today's icons to tomorrow's rising stars - and is recognized as one of the most successful labels in the industry. It is comprised of Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, and Mercury Records. The roster boasts an array of talented artists including Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Ne-Yo, Young Jeezy, The–Dream, Fabolous, Melissa Etheridge, NAS, Chrisette Michele, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Duffy and more.

What is Def Jam? :P

Def Jam was created by Rick Rubin in his dorm room in Weinstein Hall at New York University[1] and its first release was a single by his punk-rock group Hose. Russell Simmons joined Rubin shortly after they were introduced to each other by Vincent Gallo.[2] The first single released with a Def Jam Recordings logo was T La Rock & Jazzy Jay's "It's Yours." The first releases with Def Jam Recordings catalog numbers were LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" and the Beastie Boys' "Rock Hard," both in 1984. The singles sold well, eventually leading to a distribution deal with CBS Records (which would later become Sony Music Entertainment) through Columbia Records the following year. This created a short-lived subsidiary label called OBR Records, catered toward R&B artists — the first artist signed to that imprint was Oran "Juice" Jones, who enjoyed success with his hit single "The Rain". Def Jam also signed its first and only thrash metal band, Slayer, in 1986, and the band's debut album was one of only two Def Jam releases to be distributed through Geffen Records, as opposed to Columbia. As the decade drew to a close, the label signed Public Enemy, whose controversial lyrical content garnered the company both critical acclaim and disdain.

Lyor Cohen became president of Def Jam in 1988, after winning a power struggle with Rubin, who would shortly thereafter leave the company to form Def American Recordings (now known as American Recordings). Rubin would take Slayer with him to Def American in its initial stages.

History of Def Jam

As for music's impact in Britain, Def Jam's package tour of 1987 is considered something of a landmark moment. On the bill were Public Enemy, LL Cool J and Eric B & Rakim (not on Def Jam but managed by Simmons). The beginning of Public Enemy's London set – air raid sirens and the words "London, England! Consider yourselves warned!" – would be recorded for posterity, opening the group's brilliant, intensely political second album, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. "You had the so-called British invasion of America by the Beatles 20 years before, and we thought of this as the reverse, a hip-hop invasion of Britain," says the group's frontman Chuck D. "We had a mission, which was not to match the hype, but exceed it."

Seeds were certainly sown. A year later, Russell Simmons's management arm would sign up one of the few prominent UK rappers of the era, the late Derek B. And Nation of Millions was the first Def Jam release bought by a young DJ Semtex, who now fronts BBC Radio 1Xtra's flagship hip-hop show. He insists that, "Public Enemy educated me as much as the school system". Semtex also helped set up the UK arm of Def Jam in the early 1990s, working in A&R. But there would be no British Public Enemy: big-selling Tim Westwood compilation albums were more in tune with British tastes.

British tastes

“Twenty-five years ago Detroit, Motown, had the market. In the early 90s Death Row had the sound with the success of Suge Knight and Dr.Dre. Right now the sound is in Atlanta,”

… says Shakir Stewart, VP of A&R at Island/Def Jam USA for Young Jeezy, whose debut album entered at No.2. He has also been A&R for Teairra Mari and Christina Milian and has been awarded Top 10 in the World Top 20 A&R Chart.

He is frequently traveling between New York and Atlanta. Read about how he regards the differences between the cities, creatively and business-wise, and how he discovered and started working

The Interview

Shakir Stewart

What artists are you currently working with? I’m starting on a new Young Jeezy project. I’m finishing up Christina Milian. I’m starting on a new Teairra Marí album. We just finished a big remix with Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy.

Why did they choose for Island/Def Jam? Young Jeezy was the hottest thing on the street. Everybody was after him. Warner Brothers, Interscope…, but he wanted to be in business with myself and "L.A.". Teairra Marí worked with Jay-Z, in his first collaboration project since becoming president of Def Jam, to create "Make Her Feel Good", the hit single from her debut album on Def Jam's Roc-A-Fella Records label.

Why did you want to work with them? I wanted to work with Jeezy because I believe that he has a very distinct voice

and he has a message in his music. He writes excellent songs and way he describes his story is very clear and unique. And the people love him. That’s why he’s the new artist of the year.

Teairra was a star when she walked into the room. She captured the room when she did her audition. We fell in love with her from day one.

The Interview

What do you look for in an artist?

Somebody unique who gives me ‘chill-bones’. Somebody who I feel is different for the marketplace and has a very clear and distinct message.

Do you accept unsolicited material?

We receive hundreds per week. I try to listen to all of them but there’s not enough time in a day to listen to everything. I have an A&R staff that works with me that listens to whatever I don’t listen to.

How ready-to-go must artists be before you look at them seriously?

It depends on the package. Some people have it from day one. Some people need development. There’s no direct answer on that.

The Interview

What kind of buzz makes you take note of something?

A huge buzz is going to make you take note of anything. But I won’t sign every artist with a buzz. I’m always looking for something, but there might be more... it’s just a buzz.

What input do you usually have on the productions?

It depends on the artist. Every project is different. Jeezy picks his own tracks. I make a suggestion here and there, but he knows what he wants to do. With Teairra, I was involved with every song. I’m a very hands-on A&R. I’m involved with all of my projects all the time.

The Interview

What style of music would you like too see gain more popularity?

I would like to see gospel music getting more popularity.

If you could dramatically change some aspect of the music industry, what would you do?

I would change some of the people. It’s just a lot of different egos. It should be more about the music. A lot of people are in a position or have a job because of who they know and who they’re related to. It should be more about their actual sense and opinion of music. Without music sense you have no business in the music business

The Interview

http://www.defjam.co.uk/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Jam_Recordings

More information to be found…