Record Company - DefJam Recordings

• US based Hip-Hop label owned by Universal Music Group
• Part of Island Def Jam Music Group
• Has a base in the UK, Def Jam UK through Mercury Music Group
• Founded in 1884 by Rick Rubin
• Rubin later joined forces with Russell Simmons
• First single release was 'It's Yours' by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay
• Releases by LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys sold well and Def Jam landed a distribution deal with Colombia Records
• AA year after this deal a subsidiary label, OBR Records, was created to cater towards R 'n' B artists
• In 1994, PolyGram purchased a 50% stake in Def Jam recordings after it came into financial troubles
• Warren G's, 'Regulate...G Funk Era' was released and went triple platinum, reviving the company
• In 1997 they struck a distribution deal with Roc-A-Fella Records, making Hip-Hop artist Jay-Z its central star
• In 1998, PolyGram sold its shares in the company, which was then merged into Universal Music Group
• UMG became the sole owners of Def Jam Recordings after buying Russell Simmons stake and formed The Island Def Jam Music Group
• Def Jam still worked separately under its new president Kevin Liles and in 1999 it created a spin off label, Def Soul Records
• Def Soul's artists included Dru Hill, Sisqo, Montell Jordan, Case and Christina Millian
• The label also began distributing releases by Murder Inc. Records with artists Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd and Vita
• The following year Def Jam South was created with signed successful rap artists such as, Chingy, Ludacris and Bobby Valentino
• In 2002, Def Soul was absorbed into its Def Jam parent. A year later Murder Inc. was involved in a money laundering investigation, involving illegal profits from the drug trade
• In 2005 Murder Inc. was released from its distribution contract
• Roc-A-Fella Records was sold to the company in 2004, by which time it had launched the career of producer turned rapper Kanye West
• A bidding war for Jay-Z's contract began and new president of The Island Def JAm Music Group, L.A.Reid appointed Jay-Z president and CEO of Def JAm
• Jay-Z launched new and successful acts, such as contemporary R 'n' B singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo. However, he was made to step down in 2007 and continue in the label as a recording artist only

Def Jam Recordings is an appropriate label for our artist because it caters to the genre of music we have chosen. Although Def JAm is a Hip-Hop label, it also represents R 'n' B artists, such as Rihanna and Ne-Yo. Hip-Hop music is also a subsidiary to the genre of R 'n' B, so it is an obvious choice as a recording label.

It is always representing up and coming artists from the world of R 'n' B like Jeremih and The Dream. Its success over the years has been huge, with platinum selling artists and star names, like Hip-Hop legend, Jay-z. Its success in the future is without question, as stars just keep signing to the label. Our artist would tick all the correct criteria for being a Def Jam artist and would inevitably gain huge success.

New Releases

The Dream: 'Love Vs. Money'

Rick Ross: 'Deeper Than Rap'

Jeremih: 'Birthday Sex'

Chrisette Michele: 'Epiphany'