Image via Complex Original
If any one label is most identified with hip-hop's storied history, it's Def Jam. From its beginnings in Rick Rubin's dorm room to its rise as the genre's first commercial superpower to its current status as contemporary industry leaders, Def Jam has become one of the biggest success stories in music history. As the label celebrates 30 years of existence, and being the music nerds we are, we've decided to compare and rank its yearly output. There's the early commercial success with the Beastie Boys, the emergence of DMX and Jay-Z in the late '90s, and the explosion of Kanye West and Rihanna during the decade after. This is the definitive list of the best years in Def Jam's incredible run as hip-hop's most iconic label.
Written by Robbie Ettelson (@Unkut)
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15. 1994
Notable Releases: Method Man Tical; Redman Dare Iz a Darkside (RAL/Def Jam); Warren G Regulate...G Funk Era (Violator/Def Jam)
Warren G provided Def Jam with its biggest hit in years when "Regulate" took over the world for several months, propelling the rapper's debut album to over three million units sold. Meanwhile, Method Man set off the winning streak of Wu-Tang solo albums with Tical. "Bring the Pain" rocked the underground, while the all-conquering "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" single with Mary J. Blige ran the airwaves. The latter song went on to win a Grammy. Method Man scored a platinum plaque for his LP in the process. Meanwhile, Redman grabbed another gold certification for his second Rush Associated Labels effort, the drug-fueled madness that was Dare Iz A Darkside.
On the downside, horrorcore group The Flatlinerz bricked, while Slick Rick's Behind Bars under-performed. Public Enemy's troubled fifth album was also plagued by delays when Polygram purchased a 50 percent stake in Def Jam and took over distribution.
14. 2002
Notable Releases: Ashanti Ashanti (Murder Inc./Def Jam); Cam'ron Come Home With Me (Diplomats/Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Jay-Z The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); LL Cool J 10; Scarface The Fix (Def Jam South/Def Jam)
With Ja Rule's popularity waning after four albums, much of Blood In My Eye focused on his rivalry with 50 Cent, Eminem, and all of their associates. Now that Ja seemed to be giving up making hit records, he left it up to Ashanti to get Murda Inc. back on track. She proved more than capable, selling an impressive six million copies of her debut worldwide after the success of "Foolish." Cam'ron released his first project through a new Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam deal, delivering the best-selling album of his career with Come Home With Me, thanks in part to singles "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma." He also introduced the Dipset crew in the process, setting up the release of Diplomatic Immunity and various solo projects the following year.
Jay-Z racked up another two million in sales with The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, while his disappointing collaboration with R. Kelly fell just short of platinum. Rap-A-Lot transplant and newly appointed head of Def Jam South, Scarface, went gold with The Fix, while LL almost hit the million mark with the appropriately titled 10.
13. 2004
Notable Releases: Ashanti Concrete Rose (The Inc./Def Jam); Jay-Z & Linkin Park Collision Course (Roc-A-Fella/Machine Shop/Warner Bros. Records/Def Jam); Kanye West The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Ludacris The Red Light District (DTP/Def Jam); Shyne Godfather Buried Alive (Gangland/Def Jam)
2004 was an important year for the future of the label; Def Jam president Jay-Z released Kanye West's first solo album, and was first introduced to a teenage singer from Barbados by the name of Rihanna. Already established as a star producer, Kanye had a tough time convincing anybody to take him seriously as an MC, but the strong reaction to "Through The Wire" from his Get Well Soon... mixtape convinced the top brass to release the song commercially at the end of 2003, and, subsequently, commit to an album deal. The gamble paid off, with College Dropout selling over four million copies worldwide, spawning four hit singles and inspiring a nation of millions to start speeding up soul samples.
Although Rihanna wasn't technically signed until the following year, her audition for the label was the first step in her becoming Def Jam's most successful artist ever; ultimately she would sell over 100 million units in combined album and single sales. Meanwhile, Jigga's little mash-up project with Linkin Park, Collision Course, shifted five million units worldwide. Ashanti's third album and Ludacris' The Red Light District both performed well. Former Bad Boy artist Shyne managed to go gold despite being behind bars when Godfather Buried Alive was released, even recording vocals for one of the tracks over the phone from the bing.
12. 2000
Notable Releases: Beanie Sigel The Truth (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Black Friday); Ja Rule Rule 3:36 (Murder Inc./Def Jam); Jay-Z The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Ludacris Back for the First Time (DTP/Def Jam South/Def Jam); Memphis Bleek The Understanding (Get Low/Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
The Roc-A-Fella and Murder Inc. imprints dominated proceedings in 2000. Ja Rule moved three million Rule 3:36 albums, while Jay-Z helped push Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and his own The Dynasty: Roc La Familia to nearly four million units combined. The real star was new Def Jam South signee Ludacris, whose Back for the First Time went on to sell five million albums. LL Cool J's ninth album, G.O.A.T., gave the Def Jam veteran his first project to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart, while DJ Clue dropped two more well-performing "official mixtapes."
11. 2012
Notable Releases: Frank Ocean Channel Orange (Def Jam); Nas Life Is Good (The Jones Experience/Def Jam); Rick Ross God Forgives, I Don't (Maybach Music/Def Jam); 2 Chainz Based on a T.R.U. Story (Def Jam); G.O.O.D. Music Cruel Summer (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam); Rihanna Unapologetic (SRP/Def Jam)
March 2012 saw former Warner Bros. executive Joie Manda appointed the new President of Def Jam, a position that had remained vacant since Jay-Z departed in 2007. It was also the year that saw Rihanna break all kinds of sales records. She was presented with an award from Def Jam to celebrate 100 million sales of her music, as Unapolgetic continued her chart dominance. Frank Ocean snatched a Grammy and critical acclaim for Channel Orange, Rick Ross continued to perform well with God Forgives, I Don't, while fellow new G.O.O.D. Music affiliate 2 Chainz provided the label's best-selling 2012 rap release with Based on a T.R.U. Story, which went gold.
Nas dropped the well-received, critically-acclaimed Life Is Good, while Big K.R.I.T. provided the promising Live From The Underground. Def Jam finished the year with the controversial signing of Trinidad James for a reported $2 million. It could prove to be either a stroke of genius, or the biggest record label blunder since Kreayshawn. Either way, it's good to see that as the company enters its 30th year of business, it's not afraid to take chances.
10. 2001
Notable Releases: DMX The Great Depression (Ruff Ryders/Def Jam); Ja Rule Pain Is Love (Murder Inc./Def Jam); Jay-Z The Blueprint (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Jay-Z Jay-Z: Unplugged (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Ludacris Word of Mouf (DTP/Def Jam South/Def Jam)
Between Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Ludacris, and DMX, 2001 was another huge year for the label, as they moved well over 10 million albums to the masses. The Blueprint managed to perfectly balance Jay-Z's artistic side (scoring "Five Mics" from The Source) while still meeting his commercial obligations (2.7 million units sold), with help from Just Blaze and Kanye West behind the boards.
Hova also scored a gold album with his live Jay-Z: Unplugged recording with The Roots, while DMX was still able to sell three million copies of The Great Depression, despite his legal troubles at the time. Luda continued his winning streak by shifting 3.6 million copies of Word of Mouf, thanks to songs like "Move Bitch" and "Area Codes." Meanwhile, Foxy Brown, Redman, and Beanie Sigel all contributed gold plaques to their resumes, continuing to earn their keep.
9. 2010
Notable Releases: The Roots How I Got Over (Def Jam); Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam); Rick Ross Teflon Don (Maybach Music/Def Jam); Rihanna Loud (SRP/Def Jam); Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids (Def Jam)
The 21 albums released on Def Jam in 2010 set a record for the the most in the label's history, despite the challenging commercial climate. Rihanna continued to be the primary breadwinner, as her fifth album, Loud, smashed the airwaves and sold almost six million copies internationally. Kanye West dropped the critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Rick Ross finally cemented his position as a major player in the rap game with his forth LP, Teflon Don, which spawned the inescapable "B.M.F".
Other releases were less impressive sales-wise, but still well-received by reviewers and fans, including The Roots' ninth album How I Got Over, Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, and Ghostface's final Def Jam release, Apollo Kids. Ludacris proved that he still had a loyal core audience; Battle of the Sexes went gold, despite its last-minute switch from a duet to a solo album following the departure of Shawnna from his crew.
8. 1999
Notable Releases: DMX ...And Then There Was X (Ruff Ryders/Def Jam); Ja Rule Venni Vetti Vecci (Murder Inc./Def Jam); Jay-Z Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Method Man & Redman Blackout!; Slick Rick The Art of Storytelling
The DMX juggernaut continued: ...And Then There Was X would sell over five million copies at the peak of the rapper's popularity. His eventual successor, Ja Rule, also made his solo debut in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci on Irv Gotti's Murda Inc imprint. Jay-Z had another great year with Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter notching up over 3 million in sales, while the Method Man/Redman Blackout! LP went platinum off the back of "Da Rockwilder" tearing up the clubs.
Veteran Slick Rick finally got to deliver a worthy follow-up to his debut with LP number four, the impressive The Art of Storytelling, which saw him team up with MCs like Nas, Raekwon, Outkast and Snoop Dogg. Foxy Brown and Memphis Bleek also did respectable numbers, rounding out another big year. 1999 was also the year that Russell Simmons finally let go of the reigns, selling his remaining stocks in Def Jam to Universal, who appointed Rush's right-hand man Lyor Cohen head of Island Def Jam Music Group.
7. 2007
Notable Releases: Jay-Z American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Kanye West Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Ne-Yo Because of You; Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad (SRP/Def Jam); The-Dream Love Hate (Radio Killa/Def Jam)
2007 was all about Rihanna. Building on the success of her previous albums, RiRi knocked it out the park with Good Girl Gone Bad. The album produced a staggering seven singles, including the Grammy-winning "Umbrella" with Jay-Z, and went on to sell close to 10 million copies worldwide. Jay-Z contributed the platinum selling American Gangster soundtrack, while his "little brother" Kanye smashed 50 Cent in their first-week sales contest and shifted over two million copies of Graduation, his third solo platter. Ne-Yo earned a Grammy for his Because of You LP, while new Def Jam crooner The-Dream managed a respectable gold plaque for his debut, Love Hate. Russell Simmons goal of balancing out the rap releases with R&B had finally become a reality at Def Jam.
6. 1990
Notable Releases: EPMD Business as Usual (Def Jam/RAL/Columbia); LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam/Columbia); Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam/Columbia)
With the acquisition of free agents EPMD to the roster following the collapse of Sleeping Bag Records, Def Jam added some new blood to the franchise. Business As Usual not only provided LL Cool J with some much-needed street buzz via the incredible "Rampage," but it also introduced the world to Redman on the equally outstanding "Hardcore," and possibly provided the inspiration for Kanye West's international smash "Gold Digger" with their lead single of the same name.
LL quickly followed up with Mama Said Knock You Out, the comeback album that he insisted wasn't one. The champagne popping lifestyle record Walking With A Panther, released the previous year at the height of Public Enemy's influence, was the recipient of a major backlash. Reinvigorated by the Midas touch of Marley Marl and some club-hopping prior to recording sessions, Uncle L reclaimed his position in the upper echelon. Chuck D and the crew weren't resting on their laurels either, as the PE delivered their third LP, Fear of a Black Planet. It became their biggest-selling record, due in part to the success of "Fight The Power" and its prominent role in Spike Lee's seminal Do The Right Thing.
5. 1985
Notable Releases: Beastie Boys "Rock Hard"; Jazzy Jay "Def Jam/Cold Chillin' In The Spot"; MCA & Burzootie "Drum Machine"; Hollis Crew "It's The Beat"; LL Cool J Radio (Def Jam/Columbia)
In an era when hip-hop long players were a rarity, the first full-length release from the house that Rick and Rush built had a major impact. Setting it off with the speaker-smashing "I Can't Live Without My Radio," LL delivered a thrilling dedication to man's best friend of the day—the boom box. The Radio LP laid out the blueprint for James Todd Smith's remarkable longevity in the music game, balancing punishing brag-rap exhibitions ("Dangerous," "Rock The Bells") with humorous put-downs ("You Can't Dance," "That's a Lie") and songs for the ladies ("I Want You," "I Can Give You More").
With Rick Rubin's heavy metal sensibilities applied to the production of the record, the live band feel of the Sugar Hill era was dismissed in favor of a raw drum machine and guitar stab sound, which felt like a more accurate representation of a live hip-hop experience. The success of the album, the first Def Jam project released through their new partnership with Columbia Records, solidified the label within the still developing hip-hop market.
Old-schooler Jazzy Jay recorded an electro track named after the label which featured Rush ranting on the B-side; MCA and Burzootie recorded the excellent "Drum Machine." Run-DMC affiliates Hollis Crew dropped "It's The Beat," consisting of Kool-T (later a member of The Afros), DJ Hurricane (who went on to DJ for the Beasties), Runny Ray, and Davey DMX.
4. 1988
Notable Releases: Public Enemy It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (Def Jam/Columbia/CBS); Slick Rick The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (Def Jam/Columbia)
1987 had seen LL Cool J become a certified superstar when Bigger And Deffer went double platinum, but '88 saw the release of two of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time. Slick Rick capitalized on the success of 1985's "The Show" and "Ladi Dadi" with his former partner Doug E. Fresh when he dropped The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, grabbing the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hip-Hop/R&B chart and going platinum. Spawning timeless classics such as "Children's Story" and "Hey Young World," the LP featured production from Jam Master Jay, the Bomb Squad, and Ricky himself.
Meanwhile, Public Enemy had gone back to the lab to improve upon their debut in the wake of cutting edge new releases from Boogie Down Productions and Eric B. & Rakim. The end result is almost universally regarded as the greatest hip-hop album ever made. It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back was sonically exhilarating and politically charged, upping the ante in terms of the sophistication of sampling and inspiring rap fans around the world to swap their gold chains for leather Africa medallions. Def Jam distinguished itself as the leaders of the rap pack in 1988. It also signaled Rick Rubin's final year with the company; he soon moved to L.A. to start the Def American label, eventually retiring the "Def" name in a mock funeral ceremony in 1993.
3. 1998
Notable Releases: DMX It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (Ruff Ryders/Def Jam); DMX Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (Ruff Ryders/Def Jam); Jay-Z Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam); Method Man Tical 2000: Judgement Day; Redman Doc's da Name 2000
After a quiet period with merely solid sales from Jay-Z, LL Cool J, and Foxy Brown to keep things afloat, Def Jam came back hard when DMX made history: He became only the second rapper to release two No. 1 albums in the space of 12 months (2Pac was the first), selling over eight million units combined between It's Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. The pair provided a much-needed dose of aggression in the midst of the flashy Bad Boy era.
Jay-Z also hit the big time, as the 45 King-produced "Hard Knock Life" gave him a hit single and the most commercially successful album of his career. Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life moved over five million copies and scored Mr. Carter a Grammy (although he boycotted the ceremony when his pal DMX was snubbed from the nominations).
Elsewhere, both Redman and Method Man dropped LPs in the same month (prompting the "Month of the Man" campaign) which sold over a million copies each. Add to that strong showings from Erick Sermon's Def Squad project and DJ Clue's platinum The Professional, and you're looking at a total of 18.6 million units sold for 1998.
2. 1986
Notable Releases: Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (Def Jam/Columbia); Slayer Reign in Blood (Def Jam/Geffen/Warner Bros.)
While Radio hit hard, nobody was prepared for the enormous crossover success of the Beastie Boys when their album hit the shelves. Ad Rock, MCA, and Mike D clearly gave zero fucks when they put together Licensed To Ill; It was originally titled Don't Be A Faggot until the Columbia brass refused to release it. With a lyrical assist courtesy Run-DMC ("Slow and Low" and "Paul Revere") and some great beats from Rick Rubin, the Beastie's combination of metal guitar and Brat Raps were a hit amongst hardcore rap fans and mall rats alike, earning Def Jam their first platinum plaque (and eventually selling over nine million units).
'86 also saw Russell Simmon's love of R&B represented, as he released music from Tashan and Oran "Juice" Jones to underwhelming results, despite the popularity of Juice's "The Rain" single (the album was certified Gold five years later). The fourth release of the year was thrash metal band Slayer's Reign In Blood; the album was distributed by Geffen, rather than Columbia, who felt its lyrical content was promoting Nazism. Now regarded as one of greatest thrash albums of all time, it also signaled that the diverging musical tastes of the label's founders were wider than ever.
1. 1984
Notable Releases: T La Rock & Jazzy Jay "It's Yours"; LL Cool J "I Need A Beat"
1983 marked the debut release for the Def Jam label (a single for Rick Rubin's "artcore" group, Hose), but it wasn't until the following year that the now-iconic Def Jam logo made its first appearance on the label for T La Rock and Jazzy Jay's "It's Yours." Released through Arthur Baker's Partytime/Streetwise label, the song was a huge underground hit, but relations between T La Rock and Rick Rubin soon cooled.
Rick (with his business partner Russell Simmons) soon signed a 16 year-old MC named LL Cool J to record the first official Def Jam single, in part because he presented a younger, more marketable version of what T La Rock was doing. Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys was actually responsible for directing Rick's attention to Todd's tape, after working his way through the box of demos in Rubin's college dorm room while he was just hanging out. LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" cost a mere $400 to make and went on to sell 120,000 copies. The Beastie Boys would go on to record their first rap single for the label later that same year, although it wasn't pressed up on vinyl until 1985.