Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused predominantly on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group. In the UK, the label takes on the name Def Jam UK and is operated through Virgin EMI, while in Japan, it is Def Jam Japan operating through Universal Sigma Music. The label distributes various record labels, including Roc-A-Fella Records, Kanye West's GOOD Music,Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace, and ARTium Recordings, headed by Def Jam's current executive vice president, No I.D.. Current artists include Iggy Azalea, Logic, Big Sean, Kanye West, Leona Lewis, 2 Chainz, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Mother Mother, Afrojack, Jeezy, Frank Ocean, Jeremih, Ludacris, Alesso, Jhené Aiko, Desiigner, among others.

Company history

Founding and Def Jam under Columbia/CBS Records-Sony Music Entertainment

Rick Rubin

Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer and former co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin is the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings. With the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Run–D.M.C., Rubin helped popularize hip hop music.

Rubin has also worked with artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, The Black Crowes, Slayer, Jay Z, Jake Bugg, Danzig, Dixie Chicks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Weezer, Linkin Park, The Cult, Neil Diamond, The Avett Brothers, Adele, Joe Strummer, Mick Jagger, System of a Down, The Mars Volta, Rage Against the Machine, Melanie C, Audioslave, Sheryl Crow, ZZ Top, Jakob Dylan, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Damien Rice, Kanye West, and Eminem. In 2007, MTV called him "the most important producer of the last 20 years", and the same year Rubin appeared on Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

Russell Simmons

Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American business magnate. The Chairman and CEO of Rush Communications cofounded the hip-hop music label Def Jam and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons most recently launched All Def Digital, an original content channel on YouTube with over a million subscribers. Simmons has been described as the third richest figure in hip hop, having a net-worth estimate of $340 million in 2011.

Early life and education

Simmons was born and raised in Queens, New York. His father is a public school administrator and his mother is a New York City park administrator. His brothers are painter Daniel Simmons, Jr., and Rev Run of Run-DMC.

In 1975, after graduating from August Martin High School, Simmons briefly attended the City College of New York in Harlem where he met a young DJ/Bboy, Kurt Walker who would influence him to join in on this new phenomenon called Hip Hop.

In 2014, Claremont Lincoln University awarded Russell Simmons an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters for his work as chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and for promoting mindfulness, compassion and interreligious collaboration in the public sphere.

I Am

I Am may refer to:

Music

Albums

Songs

Lil Durk

Durk Banks (born October 19, 1992), better known by his stage name Lil Durk is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He is signed to the major record label Def Jam and French Montana's Coke Boys imprint.

Early life

Banks was raised in Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. He is also a member of the Black Disciples

Musical career

Durk was affiliated with Glory Boyz Entertainment early in his career but never signed. He considered rap as a full-time career after the release of his two singles, "Sneak Dissin" and "Ima Hitta", which received generally positive feedback. In December 2012, Durk released a remix to his song "L's Anthem" featuring French Montana On May 21, 2013, Lil Durk inked a deal on French Montana's label, Coke Boys.

After a couple of delays, on October 10, 2013, his fourth mixtape Signed To the Streets was released on DatPiff under his own label OTF and Coke Boys. It features two guest appearances from Lil Reese and production credits from Paris Bueller, Young Chop and more. 8 music videos have been released for the mixtape: "Bars Pt. 2", "Oh My God", "100 Rounds", "Dis Ain't What U Want", "Bang Bros", "Traumatized", "Hittaz" and "Times". Signed to the Streets would be named the eighth best mixtape of 2013 by Rolling Stone. On October 22, 2013, in an interview with XXL Lil Durk said he was working on his debut album with Def Jam and the Coke Boys collaboration album. He was planning to release his fifth mixtape, Fuckery, on January 5, 2014. However, on January 6, 2014, Lil Durk stated on Twitter that Def Jam told him not to release the free mixtape. Durk was named part of the 2014 XXL Freshmen Class.