def jam

Everything Rick Ross does is a grand affair. Where other artists rely on publicists to send out a press release on their newest ventures, Ricky Rozay opted to hold a press conference in New York City Wednesday afternoon (May 2) to unveil some of his forthcoming efforts...

New Orleans-born crooner Luke James belts out high notes beyond compare. Once his smooth vocals are heard, it's hard to deny his power, his presence and the pleasure his sound brings to the senses. For those unfamiliar with his work, his new single, 'I Want You,' is a good indication of his talents...

After reintroducing herself with this year's acclaimed 'Sailing Soul(s)' mixtape, R&B journey-woman Jhene Aiko has returned to the major label grind. Instead, the onetime Epic signee opted for Def Jam, and this weekend, as she revealed the deal via Twitter, the L.A. ...

Producer No I.D. is adding another title to his resume, one that will have him overseeing many of the same artists he's crafted beats for. "I'm (now) executive VP of Def Jam," he told Billboard. "I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing and take it to another level...

It's a sign of the times when prominent record labels are saying goodbye to the same employees who worked the campaigns of some of today's most popular rappers and singers. Def Jam, a storied entity in the hip-hop landscape, recently downsized, laying off more than 20 employees...

Seminal rap label Def Jam is preparing to publish a memoir of its own storied history, with the humbly-titled 'Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label.' The 304-page tome is written by hip-hop legend Bill Adler and writer Dan Charnas, with prefaces by Def Jam titans Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles, and will be published by Rizzoli in September.

Odd Future affiliate Frank Ocean has enjoyed a sizeable buzz since dropping his free 'Nostalgia, Ultra' project back in February. While there have been a number of fan-made videos, now one of the EP's most popular songs, 'Novacane,' has an official visual...

On (May 18), Young Jeezy announced from the studio that his long-delayed 'TM 103' album was finally complete. Soon after that, a rumored July 26 release date started to make the Internet rounds, but reps at Def Jam deny that the date is accurate...

Fans hoping for a sequel to Nas' 2002 outtakes album, 'The Lost Tapes,' can kiss that dream goodbye ... for now at least. In a recent interview with MTV News, the rapper revealed he is shelving the 'Lost Tapes 2' project. The decision came after making the switch from Sony to Def Jam...

Jadakiss' youthful looks and fairly steady stream of music makes some fans forget that its been 13 years since he debuted on Bad Boy Records with his group the LOX. Now, Jadakiss is prepping to release an official mixtape, 'I Love You,' on May 24...