Other forthcoming releases on Def Jam Africa include singles from: Ricky Tyler, Boity, Nasty C, Tellaman feat. It was Def Jam that cut loose the white juvenilia … It was Def Jam who appointed Jay-Z CEO in 2004, arguably the musical equivalent of hiring a poacher to mind your grouse.What's more, Def Jam's very origins seem curiously appropriate to hip-hop, a bastardised marriage of sounds, styles and sensibilities that probably shouldn't work, but does.Simmons, meanwhile, is a 26-year-old former dope dealer from Queens turned hip-hop impresario, arguably at a time before the industry merited such a thing. © Copyright 2020 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. You will be redirected back to your article in By 1982, Simmons' younger brother, Joseph, had formed a hip-hop group with his friends Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam … Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, formed the pioneering hip-hop trio Run-DMC with Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. It's written by LL, Rubin and a friend of Rubin's called Adam Horovitz, then part of a thrash punk outfit called the Of course, Def Jam's success throughout the rest of the decade owed much to being in the right place at the right time – it didn't just move hip-hop into mainstream culture, but benefited from that movement, too. For those into hip-hop, no label has such cultural and historic relevance as Def Jam. Jay was responsible for the beats behind the group. All rights reserved. It will be supported by dedicated A&R, marketing, creative and digital teams from the UMG teams in both Nigeria and South Africa and will report to Sipho Dlamini, managing director of Universal Music Sub-Saharan Africa & South Africa.The label launches with a flagship roster including such well-established African artists as Boity (South Africa), Cassper Nyovest (South Africa), Larry Gaaga (Nigeria), Nadia Nakai (South Africa), Nasty C (South Africa), Tshego (South Africa), Tellaman (South Africa), Ricky Tyler (South Africa) and Vector (Nigeria). Still, there is no label whose fortunes seem so intertwined with hip-hop's own, tracing the genre's growth from cottage industry in the 80s via blue-chip market leader in the early noughties to today's clumsy and somewhat grotesque behemoth (last year Def Jam even signed execrable tweeny rappers N-Dubz).Maybe it's simply because Def Jam has outlived its peers, or maybe there's something particularly iconic about that logo – the D that looks like a halved 12-inch vinyl and the J resembling the arm of a turntable. But Def Jam? Jason Mizell, a member of hip hop pioneers Run-DMC, is seen in Los Angeles in this Feb. 25, 2002, file photo. From Blue Note for jazz fans, to Mercury Records, which was Hugh Masekela’s first US label and Uptown Records, the home of Jodeci and Mary J Blige and many more. The label will initially be based in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria, but will identify and sign artist talent from across the entire continent. From Run DMC, to LL Cool J, Disturbing the Peace, Jay-Z, Big Sean and Kanye West, Def Jam has always been the ultimate destination for hip-hop and urban culture worldwide. It is a historic achievement that we’re now able to bring this iconic label to Africa, to create an authentic and trusted home for those who aspire to be the best in hip-hop, Afrobeats and trap. From Run DMC, to LL Cool J, Disturbing the Peace, Jay-Z, Big Sean and Kanye West, Def Jam has always been the ultimate destination for hip-hop and urban culture worldwide. He's putting on block parties in Harlem and managing the likes of Kurtis Blow and Run DMC, the band that included, of course, his younger brother, Joseph "Run" Simmons.Jay introduces Rubin to Simmons at Danceteria, the legendary Manhattan nightclub then on 21st Street, where rock kids, new wave hipsters and B-boys mix side by side. Together, we will build a new community of artists, that will push the boundaries of hip-hop from Africa, to reach new audiences globally.Adam Granite, EVP, Market Development said, “Def Jam has always been a respected mark of hip-hop quality, and the calibre of artists already on the roster, shows that this is a label, truly dedicated to helping the very best rap talent from Africa, reach new audiences on a global level.”Earlier this year it was announced that South African rapper Nasty C will release his forthcoming album “Zulu Man with Some Power” in partnership with Def Jam Recordings in the U.S., during Summer, 2020.