In 1984, Def Jam introduced a new kind of music and lifestyle–hip-hop–through aspiring record producer and punk-rocker Rick Rubin and party promoter/artist manager Russell Simmons. It has become the sound of young America, akin to Motown in the sixties. This is the first book to see the label whole: through an oral history woven from interviews (some exclusive) with its founders and artists such as LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Ja Rule, Rihanna, Ashanti, and Kanye West, as well as through rare memorabilia from personal archives of the label’s movers and shakers: behind-the-scenes photos, flyers, advertisements, movie posters, album cover art, magazine covers, and press clips from around the world. It also showcases images from some of the best-known photographers of the era, including Albert Watson, Glen E. Friedman, Jonathan Mannion, and Annie Leibovitz. The book containts the story of Def Jam in the words of its artists and top executives, taken from interviews and seamlessly told as a narrative of no-holds barred recollections and anecdotes, made even more compelling by the fact that Def Jam is one of the last great record labels to enjoy the widespread cultural influence that it does, in light of the increasing digitization of music.

The book it out now, released by Rizzoli.

See author Bill Adler talk about the book here:

M.I.A. send us the link to a new track she did with Blaqstarr – a cover version of the legendary opening song to the U.S. series “The Wire”. Originally sung by Tom Waits, Blaqstarr and M.I.A. did a club friendly version, alongside the cheapest video ever made (still it´s good).

3rd Bass, one of the 2nd generation of Def Jam artists, did a cool version of the Tom Waits song back in 1991. It´s called “Soul In The Hole” and you can download it from here:

3RD BASS “SOUL IN THE HOLE”