In the early ???80s, the music industry wrote off hip-hop as a passing fad. Few could or would have predicted that the improvised raps and raw beats busting out of New York City???s urban underclass would one day become a multimillion-dollar business and one of music???s most lucrative genres.Among those few were two visionaries: Russell Simmons, a young black man from Hollis, Queens, and Rick Rubin, a Jewish kid from Long Island. Though the two came from different backgrounds, their all-consuming passion for hip-hop brought them together. Soon they would revolutionize the music industry with their groundbreaking label, Def Jam Records.Def Jam, Inc. traces the company???s incredible rise from the NYU dorm room of nineteen-year-old Rubin (where LL Cool J was discovered on a demo tape) to the powerhouse it is today; from financial struggles and scandals???including The Beastie Boys???s departure from the label and Rubin???s and Simmons???s eventual parting???to revealing anecdotes about artists like Slick Rick, Public Enemy, Foxy Brown, Jay-Z, and DMX.Stacy Gueraseva, former editor in chief of Russell Simmons???s magazine, Oneworld, had access to the biggest players on the scene, and brings you real conversations and a behind-the-scenes look from a decade???and a company???that turned the music world upside down. She takes you back to New York in the ???80s, when late-night spots such as Danceteria and Nell???s were burning with young, fresh rappers, and Simmons and Rubin had nothing but a hunch that they were on to something huge.Far more than just a biography of the two men who made it happen, Def Jam, Inc. is a journey into the world of rap itself. Both an intriguing business history as well as a gritty narrative, here is the definitive book on Def Jam???a must read for any fan of hip-hop as well as all popular-culture junkies. umm...
gloom
2,765 Posts
Comments
WTF???
Is that the same Brett Ratner as the "Bad Movie Directing" one????
yes, as in "hack that stole my girl, Serena" Brett Ratner
It's also close to ten years late...
I also see now that it's being published by One World/Ballantine--it's gonna be pure uncritical fluff.
That's quite a nipple you got there Serena...
yes sir.
Look at that dudes shoes. Man, how could you date a broad like Serena, have her out on town while she's looking crazy banging, and take her out in public where some butt-ugly kicks that don't even match the rest of your outfit. Cot damn homie.
That bum thing is something that youngish white people do to telegraph that they are so rich they don't give a fuuuuuuuuuuu.
Naw man, I'm going to have to overule you on this one *pasue*. I think the dude can't rock his shit right and is just a incompetent dresser. Like if he was trying to do the whole ironic thing he would have a "Kansas is for lovers" t-shirt or a hooded sweatshirt undeneath that blazer or something.
man i'm really giving myself a bad look here by breaking down outfits and shit.
Nah, man.
Hipster kids living off their parents = ironic smedium tees
Genuinely rich = straight slob
I think Faux is on to something.
God it makes me sad to see her with some one more schlubby than me.
No 'Naldo PM necessary (although he might want to point out that your use of the word "broad" came across a bit overcompensating for the impending queeniness of your couture critique).
PS Hi, P*trick! Missed you last night (PASUE).
it's probably more up to date though, the above book only goes up to the DMX era. Could be quite interesting (or not) to learn the inside story about how jay-z became CEO.
1). overcompensate? never that. I called my date on monday a broad, she thought it was cool.
2). Dude ,I laid down to watch lil' movie then the next thing I know it's 8:30 in AM.