10 Facts About Def Jam

Def Jam Recordings is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group.

Def Jam was co-founded by Rick Rubin in his dormitory in Weinstein Hall at New York University, and its first release was a single by his punk-rock group Hose.

Def Jam signed its first and only thrash metal band, Slayer, in 1986, and the band's third and fourth albums were the only two Def Jam releases to be distributed through Geffen Records via Warner Bros.

DMX claimed that Def Jam made $144 million from the sales of his first two albums.

Def Jam inherited many of Island's urban artists, including Dru Hill, the Isley Brothers and Kelly Price.

Related searches

Def Jam Germany signed German rappers Spezializtz and Philly MC.

Def Jam blocked Murder Inc and TVT Records from releasing a Cash Money Click reunion album, due to Ja Rule's contractual obligations, which alleged that Cohen paid Ja and Irv Gotti $8 million not to submit the project to TVT, but instead to parent company Universal.

Def Jam later became the executive vice president of the urban division at Def Jam's sister Universal label, Capitol Music Group.

That same month, Def Jam re-signed LL Cool J and DMX after nine and fourteen respective years apart from the label.

Def Jam was replaced by the head of business affairs at Universal Music, Jeffrey Harleston, who instead assumed interim control over the label.