Def Jam Records
also referred to as: def jam
2 statements across 1 episodes · 1 bullish · 0 bearish · 1 people on the record · first statement May 24, 2026 by Rick Rubin · across every show →
Everything said about Def Jam Records, oldest first
May 24, 2026 positive
Rubin: Lack of recording expertise preserved authentic early hip-hop sound
“The fact that I didn't know what I was doing allowed it to be true to what hip hop was. Whereas all of the records that were coming out, the few and far between, 12 inch singles every few weeks, they were made by professionals who made other kinds of music. Th…”
May 24, 2026 neutral
Rubin: 'It's Yours' sold 100,000 copies over 18 months without radio play
“It took a long time, probably took 18 months to sell a 100,000, but over 18 months sold about a 100,000, and it was a hit, as much of a hit could be in something that would never be on the radio and a kind of music that nobody listened to or liked.”