Upon hearing Ridenhour's demo track " Public Enemy Number One ", fledgling producer / upcoming music-mogul Rick Rubin insisted on signing him to his Def Jam label.

After the sale of the Tommy Boy Records ' master tapes to Warner Bros. Records, Everlast signed with Island / Def Jam, and released the solo LP White Trash Beautiful in 2004.

He also appears as himself in Def Jam: Fight for NY and UFC: Tapout fighting video games.

The group then separated from Def Jam and has since been independently producing, marketing, and publishing their music.

In 1990, Russell Simmons gave Paul an imprint under his Def Jam label.

When Public Enemy was formed and signed to Def Jam, Ridenhour invited Griffin to be a sideman.

Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin had already left the label by then ; taking his place alongside Russell Simmons was Lyor Cohen, the son of Israeli immigrants who had run Rush Artist Management since 1985.

When Public Enemy reformed, due to increasing attention from the press and pressure from Def Jam hierarchy, Griffin was no longer with the band.

were featured in the hip hop film Krush Groove, a fictionalized re-telling of Russell Simmons ' rise as a hip-hop entrepreneur and his struggles to get his own label, Def Jam Recordings, off the ground.

The film featured a young Blair Underwood as Russell, along with appearances by old-school legend Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, teen pop act New Edition, LL Cool J, Prince protegee Sheila E., and hip hop's first successful white rap group the Beastie Boys, who were signed to Simmons ' Def Jam label.

and the Def Jam label.

Though the group itself was never signed to the label, they were managed by Russell Simmons, produced by Rick Rubin ( who was co-founder of Def Jam, along with Simmons ), and often shared concert tour spotlight with acts on the label's roster.

finally signing with the Def Jam label, which by then was no longer held by its original founders.

The album was released in the UK on Parlophone but in US, on the Island Def Jam imprint.

The innovations of Run-D. M. C., LL Cool J, and new school producers such Larry Smith, and Rick Rubin of Def Jam, were quickly advanced on by the Beastie Boys, Marley Marl and his Juice Crew MCs, Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, and Eric B.

Other examples of the dozens in reverse, from other comedians, can be found in the cable TV program Def Comedy Jam, which was a production of Def Jam founder Russell Simmons's company.

Los Angeles band The Bronx briefly appeared on Island Def Jam Music Group for the release of their 2006 self-titled album, which was named one of the top 40 albums of the year by Spin magazine.

* Sterling Simms, singer on Def Jam

The group was moved to Island Def Jam Music Group, which they eventually left after conflict with the label about creative input.

During this time period, Mercury Records, the band's label, had been merged with Island Def Jam.

After a three year struggle, the brothers left Island Def Jam Records to seek more creative freedom.

They also visited colleges to showcase Strong Enough to Break, the documentary chronicling difficulties with and departure from Island Def Jam.

In 1996, Mos Def emerged as a solo artist and worked with De La Soul and Da Bush Babees, before he released his own first single, " Universal Magnetic ".

* Lady Sovereign ( born 1985 ), a female MC and performing artist for Def Jam Recordings

Jazzy Jay introduced Rubin to concert promoter / artist manager Russell Simmons in a club, and Rubin explained he needed help getting Def Jam off the ground.

* Mos Def, a rap artist

* Def Jef, a rap artist

* Chrisette Michele, a recording artist signed to Island Def Jam Records.

In 2001, he was the first Japanese artist to be signed by Def Jam Japan.

She landed her first major breakthrough as a songwriter, co-writing Rihanna's song " Cheers " featured on " Loud " which is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released November 12, 2010 on Def Jam Recordings.

Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003.

At first, Island decided to keep Dru Hill a trio, and shot a video for a hip-hop-styled remix of Enter the Dru's " You are Everything " with only Sisqó, Jazz, and Nokio, who performs a rap with Def Jam artist Ja Rule.

Upon his death, Russell Simmons of Def Jam Records said that Yauch " was incredibly sweet and the most sensitive artist, who I loved dearly.

Also that same year the Atlanta-based rapper caught his big break when he signed to Def Jam Recordings ' newly established Southern rap subsidiary, Def Jam South, and became the label's flagship Dirty South artist.

Hip hop artist Mos Def included the beginning verse of " Under the Bridge " in the song " Brooklyn ," from his 1999 record Black on Both Sides.

Some of its primary figures include Montell Jordan ( the first R & B artist to sign with hip hop label Def Jam Records ), Blackstreet ( led by Teddy Riley, the inventor of new jack swing ), and the " Queen of Hip Hop Soul " Mary J. Blige, TLC, Aaliyah and R. Kelly who adapted the nervy swagger of their rapping counterparts without sacrificing soulful vocals or influences.

She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris ' Disturbing tha Peace Records.

Each individual artist, however is signed to a different label, including E1 Music, Asylum, and Def Jam, among others.

In 2011, there followed Nigerian artist D ' banj and fellow producer Don Jazzy, and a distribution agreement was made with Island Def Jam Music Group.

* Mos Def – primary artist

Following PolyGram ’ s purchase, Def Jam distributed the Violator Records signed artist Warren G's Regulate ... G Funk Era album, which went triple platinum and brought much-needed revenue to Def Jam through its distribution deal with Violator.

Jay-Z's contract as president of Def Jam was not renewed, forcing him to step down at the end of 2007, remaining with Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings as a recording artist.