Customer Reviews

Def Jam, Inc. : Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the Extraordinary Story of the World's Most Influential Hip-Hop Label

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rarely do you find a book about the history of the music industry that actually works to make you feel as if you are a part of what is going on. DEF JAM INC. by Stacy Gueraseva is an inspirational take on the creation of not only a new breed of record label, but the ushering in of a completely mindblowing era of music, musicians and moguls. Being a musician I was utterly inspired by this insiders perspective on the rise, fall and subsequent resurrection of the legendary DEF JAM label. The reader is immediately drawn into the lives of this incredible cast of "real-life" characters... You will feel as if you're in that cramped NYU dorm room with Rick and his crew while he's cooking up his scheme for releasing music for and by the local hip-hop DJ. You'll be there in the clubs with Mr. Russell Simmons, hard working and smooth-talking his way to the top. DEF JAM INC. gives you never before seen insight into the heart of the label during it's tough starts and shows the industry from the artist's perspective in ways I've yet to experience elsewhere. Without ruining the read, I just have to say, if you love great music and want to know where hip-hop came from, DEF JAM INC. is an invaluable tool on the path to hip-hop enlightenment... A musician's must have.

You may claim to have a fairly good knowledge and progression of hip-hop, but until you read this book, you are just kidding yourself. Lots of people can tell ya that Def Jam started in an NYU dorm room by Simmons and Rubin. This book isn't just the dull historical tale of how that came to be the dominant hip-hop label we know today. It really delves into the personalities surrounding Def Jam, the environment, and the great stories. The stories are what made the book for me. Hearing the crazy stunts the Beasties pulled on tour, the bizarre things DMX would say to any certain situation, and more, make this a fun, yet productive read. Def Jam was really a centerpiece for hip-hop and this book helps put a lot of things in perspective.

Engaging, first-hand stories from a couple of guys who had a dream and made it happen - not just reportage, but real conversations interspersed with background information and tons of pics - what's not to like? Stacy Gueraseva's deft interweaving makes Def Jam Inc. eminently readable. Anyone who has ever listened to a record and wondered what it took to get that record into stores will love this book.

I am extremely happy that there is a book that depicts the origination and rise of hip-hop however the sentence structure is quite rough to get through. The reader can flow through paragraphs of events for a couple of pages however, when meeting a new character, the author has a tendency to link various people and companies and sometimes events to that one character, within two sentences. Therefore, it takes the reader some time to figure out if the author is actually talking about the new character or the other items that were linked to the new character.

READ THAT BOOK TOOK ME BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS

The story of the rise of Def Jam is a fascinating part of hip hop history because, in many respects, it laid the groundwork for hip hop as we know it. Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin are arguably the Wright Brothers of hip hop because they took an artistic genre (rap) and contrary to popular corporate opinion - which did not believe rap would be anything more than a passing fad - made it fly. This book details the rise of Def Jam from its beginning in Rick Rubin's NYU dorm room to the present.

Even though the story is very interesting, the book is poorly written on a number of levels. First, Stacy Gueraseva worked as the Editor-in-Chief for one of Simmons' magazines and her bias to her former employer clearly shows through. There is very little critical analysis of the negative side of this company (e.g. its glorification of violence, guns and the objectification of women).

Second, Gueraseva often fails to tell the entire story of specific characters in the book. For example, the most compelling figure in Def Jam's history is Lyor Cohen, who was with the company for over 20 years and figures prominently throughout the entire story. Unfortunately, the author does not fully explain his personal history (like she does with Rubin and Simmons). We get only tidbits of his personal bio - e.g. he is Israeli, he went to the University of Miami, he is a "family man" now. He is obviosuly different than most people in the Def Jam story but for some unknown reason, the author does not elaborate on his personal story. You get to the point where you want to yell at her "ok, tell us more about him!" but she never does.

Additionally, the author spends a lot of time detailing Def Jam's rise in the 1980s but only gives the post-1995 era a short look. I feel the rise of Jay-Z to President of Def Jam is one of the most interesting developments of Def Jam Era but we only get about 3 paragraphs discussing this part.

Finally, the writing is extremely average. The sentence structure was repetitive and there were several grammatical errors. It was quite noticeable and took away from the flow of the story.

In all, even though this is an interesting story, it deserved a better researched and written history.

I was really interested in the story, but the author wrote like a 5th grader. Every sentence seemed to be written in the same boring way. THis was a really brutal read which I couldnt finish.

This book is a must for any hip hop fanatic, such as myself. Def Jam has been THE hip hop label ever since its first release back in 1984, and Def Jam Inc gives the reader every detail from how the label came together, to the ups and downs, up to how it is to this day one of the most credible and profitable record labels in the industry. It is brilliantly written, and very hard to put down. I'll be reading this book at leat 25 more times

As the sister of the author and the designer of the cover for "Def Jam, Inc.," I have witnessed firsthand the creation of this book and I feel compelled to leave a comment. There is a reason this book was called "Book of the Month" by Maxim Magazine, and a "fast-paced history of ingenuity, scandal and pure Hip Hop" by Source Magazine. There is a reason it was selected for the New York Public Library's prestigious 77th annual "Books for the Teen Age" list.

And that reason is- "Def Jam, Inc." is amazing. It accomplishes the most challenging of all tasks- to both entertain and inform. It is a bonafide page-turner, the kind that conjures up cinematic imagery. To get the stories for this book, Stacy had to track down reclusive recording artists like Slick Rick and get them to open up about the past. She spent time with Rick Rubin at his house in LA. She sat in conference rooms for hours, interviewing Lyor Cohen. She rode in limos with Russell Simmons, getting answers from him in between his endless phone calls and emails. And that was the easy part.

The research alone was a monumental task, one that would make many others give up. And the book-writing process required numerous all-nighters and months of blood, sweat and tears. It is hard for someone who hasn't witnessed the writing process to fully understand just how much works goes into it.

But herein lies the payoff- 300 plus pages of remarkable stories, first-person accounts, anecdotes, thrilling hip hop history-- the life and times of a fascinating and exciting record label. The book is written with energy, intelligence, style, passion and respect for the subject. It is a thorough account of every corner of Def Jam's rise- from its executives, to its artists, to even its famous album covers. It is not sensationalistic pulp. Reading "Def Jam, Inc." has opened my eyes to the infinite possibility for personal accomplishment. It is a story of the American Dream like no other. Read it and let inspire you to be better and to live your life to its fullest.