1. Def Jam Recordings
{ By Katharina Krebs

3.  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

4.  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

5.  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

6.  ‚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

7. Shakir Stewart

8.  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

9.  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

10.  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

11.  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

12. http://www.defjam.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Ja
m_Recordings
More information to be
found…