Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, founded in 1984 by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons. It was later purchased by Universal Music Group, and in 1998, was merged with Island Records and Mercury Records to form the Island Def Jam Music Group (which absorbed Motown in 2011). Island Def Jam was dissolved in 2014, with Def Jam reverting back to its own label. Nowadays, it focuses primarily on hip-hop and urban music.
In addition to music production, they were also behind the Def Jam Series of video games.
Their only relation to Def Leppard is that Rick Rubin asked Leppard’s singer Joe Elliot for permission to use the name “Def”. Joe, thinking that this record label would get nowhere, agreed - something which he regrets to this day.
Notable artists, past and present, with TV Tropes pages:
- 2 Chainz
- Afrojack
- Jhené Aiko
- Ashanti
- Babyface
- Beastie Boys
- Scarlett Belle
- Justin Bieber
- Big KRIT
- Big Sean
- Toni Braxton
- BTS (Japan)
- Alessia Cara
- Mariah Carey
- The Isley Brothers
- Jay-Z (also served as president of the label from 2006-2008)
- DJ Khaled (served as president of Def Jam South from 2009-2012)
- Patti LaBelle
- LL Cool J
- Ludacris
- Nas
- Ne-Yo
- Frank Ocean
- Public Enemy
- Reign in Blood
- Rihanna
- Rick Ross
- Rick Rubin
- Slayer
- Slick Rick
- Kanye West
