Review
"Def Jam’s rise to such pop prominence was gorgeously scrappy, and it’s told in a gorgeous scrapbook called Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label, which lands on coffee tables next month." ~New York Magazine
"This handsome, oversized publication chronicles an iconic era in the history of popular music. An extremely readable and browsable book, with glorious photos." ~Library Journal
"Given the impact of Russell Simmons's and Rick Rubin’s Def Jam Records on pop culture, this tribute tome is an inevitable celebration of a quarter of a century (an eternity in pop media) of the brand’s existence. No surprises here—a useful collection of history and imagery of the label that gave the world the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J, Jay-Z and Kanye West. Designed by Def Jam’s founding creative director, Cey Adams, with text by founding publicist Bill Adler and Dan Charnas, the book makes plain the two-headed nature of what has become a potent enterprise—serious business and serious fun." ~The Daily Beast
"Def Jam is not just a record label...but a bona fide chapter in pop culture history." ~New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Bill Adler was Def Jam’s founding publicist where he promoted the careers of hip-hop legends Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, 3rd Bass, and Slick Rick, among others. Dan Charnas is the author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop. Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons cofounded Def Jam Recordings in 1984. Simmons has since expanded the Def Jam brand into movies, television, books, theater, and the Internet. Rubin has since established himself as one of the most prolific and successful producers of popular music. Lyor Cohen, chairman of Def Jam for the decade ending in 2003, is now CEO of the Warner Music Group. Kevin Liles, president of Def Jam from 1999-2003, is now president and CEO of Def Jam Enterprises and founder, KWL Enterprises. Kelefa Sanneh, a pop music critic for the New York Times from 2000 through 2008, is now a culture writer for The New Yorker. Cey Adams is a hip-hop graphic artist whose career has taken him from bombing (or spray-painting) subway trains to designing album covers, stage backdrops, sportswear, and indelible logos. He was the founding creative director of Def Jam. His other clients include Bad Boy Records, Roca Wear, Adidas, Burton Snowboards, Coca-Cola, Moët & Chandon, Comedy Central, HBO, and Warner Brothers.
