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Posts Tagged “Def Jam”

crash landings

Janet Jackson's Label Not-So-Subtly Hinting "Discipline" Was A Flop

Hey, remember that Janet Jackson album that came out a few months ago? Debuted at No. 1, swiftly dropped off the charts afterward? No? Well, apparently Island Def Jam, Janet's label, is trying to put it out of its collective mind, too. During a conference call about her upcoming tour, she told reporters that there probably wouldn't be another single from the album: "We started off with 'Feedback' and the label and myself haven't quite seen eye to eye since the 'Feedback' single so they've kind of basically stopped all promotion. I'm trying to figure out a way to say this, but just to say it and to be quite honest, they just stopped all promotion whatsoever on the album so I don't think you're going to hear another single off this album." I guess Island Def Jam has figured that 392,000 copies sold is as good as it's going to get. (For its part, a label rep told Billboard that while IDJ hasn't "experienced the results [it] would have liked with this new album," the people over there "respect and support Janet.") What happened, Janet? More »

9:30 AM on Tue Jun 10 2008
By Maura Johnston
784 views, 12 comments

Latest by Maura Johnston: @cosmiclove: that was total sales. first-week sales were 296,000. more »

meet the new boss

Def Jam To Replace Jay-Z With Evil, Evil Man Who Signed Rick Ross

While he's not going to be the label's new CEO (boss L.A. Reid reclaimed the title after Jay-Z's departure), Shakir Stewart has been named Executive Vice President of Def Jam, which basically makes him Jay-Z's replacement. While he can take credit for signing Ciara to LaFace (where he and Reid began their professional relationship) and signing Beyonce to a publishing contract in 1999, it's believed that the real reason he's being given the promotion is that he's responsible for signing Young Jeezy and Rick Ross to the label. Admittedly, these acts are younger and arguably more successful than the fogies like Nas and the Roots that Jay-Z was responsible for, but I'm pretty damn scared what's going to come from a label run by a guy who takes pride in turning charmless, one-dimensional self-aggrandizement into music-business gold. More »

2:00 PM on Wed Jun 4 2008
By Anthony Miccio
766 views, 9 comments

Latest by n/a: @Maura Johnston: The Def Jam publicity dept. needs to get on that, or have they been cut, too? Perhaps 2Pac Shakir will be able to convince Ricky Rowssss to make an appearance on Nas's ill-fated slave CD, or table it more »

there's always next time

Nas Relents, Changes Album Title To "Nas"

For the second release in a row, Nas has been forced to abandon his dream of releasing a CD named N—-—. Last time he caved to pressure, he was able to think up a different controversial gimmick, but instead of naming his upcoming album The Obama Of Rap or Anal Fixation, he's gone with Nas, simply Nas. While there had been talk of further pressure from his label, it's surprising that such a change would be pushed for well into the pre-release hype cycle. Maybe once his Def Jam contract ends, Nas can release digital downloads with all the controversial file names he can think of. More »

4:30 PM on Mon May 19 2008
By Anthony Miccio
635 views, 4 comments

Latest by britneyspearstears: @GhostOfDuane: Word. Agreed. more »

the new model

Jermaine Dupri And Tag Launch A Stinker

Jermaine Dupri's latest hair-brained scheme: He's bringing together the collective power of Island Def Jam and Procter and Gamble to start Tag Records, a label that is branded with the name of the body spray and the delightful countenance of the pint-sized president. Dupri claims that Tag is where he'll find new artists and "market [them] 10 times more" than they might normally be, unless they're, say, Leona Lewis. It seems like kind of a raw deal for the artists, to be honest; they're basically contracted out to be spokesmodels for Tag and active music artists with recording and touring careers simultaneously. Of course, the IDJ suits are calling this "a non-traditional approach that blends our most valuable assets: the artist and their music, with the power of brand marketing." That's almost as sexy as Tag's nausea-inducing scents! The first artist contracted to this partnership will be announced in May, if Dupri's charisma can convince anyone to actually go down this road. After the jump, he chats about the new venture while standing in front of a very expensive car. More »

4:00 PM on Thu Apr 10 2008
By Maura Johnston
195 views, 4 comments

Latest by scarletvirtue (Sadie, Sadie Married Lady): @pupycukus: I think that was Taang! Records. And yeah, it was there attempt at being all hip and with it, back in the days. more »

Is Def Jam drowning in debt? Rumor has it that the label is 100 million dollars in the hole, and that it needs to put out some mega-selling records ASAP in order to make up its losses. I guess now we know why that Janet Jackson video had such a low-budget feel to it! [MahoganyGirl.com via ProHipHop]

1 comment

revampings

Chuck D's Four Point Plan For The Security Of The Record Industry

Now that Jay-Z is out at Def Jam and once again purportedly making eyes at Steve Jobs, Public Enemy frontman and early Internet adopter Chuck D has declared his intentions to seek Jay's throne high-backed office chair, regardless of the fact that Def Jam has made no overtures towards him regarding the position. And, yeah we're not sure why anyone would want to take a job as the head of a giant record label at this point in the industry's history, but Chuck's always been something of a "fixer", whether it's racist governments or creatively and financially stagnating business models. Perhaps as a way to prove to the suits that he's given the label's future some thought, he's drafted a list outlining the changes he'd make beyond "release anything else we can from Rihanna's album as a single, immediately." More »

11:45 AM on Fri Jan 4 2008
By jharv
547 views, 6 comments

Latest by Chris Molanphy: @KingHater: [applause] more »

Did Sarah "Ultragrrrl" Lewitinn jump the gun when she announced that Stolen Transmission had split from Island Def Jam, and would be going back to its roots in her bedroom? According to a source at the label, meetings next week are going to decide the label's eventual fate. [Billboard.biz]

2 comments

Is Jay-Z On His Way Out Of Def Jam's Executive Suite? He may be, according to a report in Rush & Molloy that says contract-renewal talks between the hip-hop star and Universal Music Group have broken down.

7 comments

partings

Island Def Jam Lays Off Staff, Cuts Ultragrrrl's Label Loose

In addition to the rumors of layoffs at Sony BMG, another major label has started to shed personnel, with Island Def Jam letting people go on Friday; among the rumored departures are executive vice president of promotion Greg Thompson and A & R honchos Paul Pontius and Rob Stevenson. Island Def Jam has also severed its ties with Stolen Transmission, the "incubator" label that was run by Sarah "Ultragrrrl" Lewitinn, who addressed the situation in an upbeat post on AbsolutePunk.net: More »

8:30 AM on Mon Dec 3 2007
By mjohnston
3,137 views, 47 comments

Latest by the_j: Ultragrrrl, these guys are haters, the Oohlas rock, and you're kinda cute for a blogga. Holla! more »

rumors

Is Def Jam Making Cuts To Its Staff?

Yesterday, news that Warner Music Group would be making substantial staff cuts spread around the music world; today, Jossip is claiming that Def Jam is getting in on the personnel-shedding act as well: More »

3:44 PM on Tue May 8 2007
By mjohnston
528 views, 4 comments

liner notes

Liner Notes: J To Tha L-A-W

- Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony plan to sue The National Enquirer after the publication claimed that the couple was "caught up in a heroin scandal." Lopez's testimony will be read by a 22-year-old session singer and sweetened with Auto-Tune. [AP]
- Is Beyoncé Knowles looking to make the jump from way-lame Sony to super-awesome-cool Def Jam? And could it be any more obvious that someone at Def Jam planted this item? [Page Six]
- Ahmet Ertegun's many, many mistresses will finally get to meet today. [NY Daily News]

1:30 PM on Tue Apr 17 2007
By Brian Raftery
697 views, 1 comment

Latest by defendme: Let's have a look at the Beyonce item. In terms of current market share, Colubmia is the #2 label and RCA is #3. Island Def Jam took a huge tumble to #6. Who do you think is more desperate to get Beyonce? more »

def jam icon

New Def Jam Video Game Allows Players To Sulk Like Their Favorite Rappers

HHNLIve has some preview shots from the upcoming Def Jam Icon, an exciting new video game in which big-name rappers sit for hours in their lawyers' offices, trying to extricate themselves from their contracts (or so we're guessing). Icon features frowny-faced digital renditions of the Game, Ludacris, Lil' Jon, and Redman, who here looks a bit like the cranky ghost of Lee Marvin. More »

11:22 AM on Thu Feb 8 2007
By Brian Raftery
505 views, 2 comments

liner notes

Liner Notes: Keane, Street Fighting, And A Reminder To Turn That Crap Down

- Keane's next UK single will come out as a memory stick packed with screensavers, videos, and other extras. Here's hoping caffeine pills are also in the package. [Guardian, via Coolfer]
- T.I., Ludacris, and Outkast's Big Boi are all set to feud—in another Def Jam-branded video game. [SOHH]
- Listening to music on headphones too loud for periods longer than 90 minutes can have long-term affects on your hearing, according to a study brought to you by your mother and that guy sitting next to you on the subway. [CBC]

3:28 PM on Thu Oct 19 2006
By mjohnston
52 views, Comment