DefJamRecordings—HipHop

ABOUT

Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons launched Def Jam from a New York City dorm room in 1984, defining the sound of hip hop for the next decade. The label's stripped-down production aesthetic — drum machines, heavy bass, minimal arrangement — was simultaneously minimalist and maximally powerful. Def Jam broke LL Cool J, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy before becoming the dominant force in 1990s hip hop.

PRODUCER NOTES

Early Def Jam production relies on TR-808 drum machines and SP-12 sampler chops rather than the soul-sample-heavy approach of later boom bap. The crisp, hard drum sounds on early Def Jam records are worth studying for their mix presence and clarity.

NOTABLE HIP HOP ARTISTS