The Def Jam signee went on 106 and Park recently and proved why the executives took a risk on the 11 year old. Check Lil Niqo out as he spits over The Throne’s “N****s In Paris.” Terrence J and Rocsi were impressed. What about you?  Which adult wordsmiths is he better than? Sound off in the comments. Swag! Swag!

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TUD: How did you get your start in the music industry?
Chris Atlas: I started, I don’t even wanna say how long ago (laughs), but I started at Tommy Boy records as an intern in 96. Then it progressed into a full-time gig. I went from college promotion to mix show promotion, then I did A&R while I was there. When I left Tommy Boy I was General Manager for the urban division.

How is working at Def Jam different from past experiences at other labels?
The biggest difference is the legacy and the level of competition that exists within the company to just be the best. Def Jam is like one of the most iconic hip-hop labels ever and we fight really hard to maintain that. It’s a battle to maintain the relevancy of the brand, the status of the artists, and the quality of music. Def Jam has been on top for a long time, it might have had its periods of decline, but we are aggressive about trying to hold up the legacy and take the artists to the next level.

Get more of the G-List Here!

I know it’s hard to pick one, since you work with so many, but are there any artists that you work with that impress you with their style?
I think Fabolous has a great sense of style. He just always remains youthful to me. His style represents his music well. It represents his confidence. I like Kanye’s style, of course; he sets his own trends. We’ve seen so many different evolutions of his style, but I’m always impressed with Kanye. Ross’ style is dope too. He’s a big guy and a bit adventurous in some of the things he wears.

How important is grooming to an artist’s style?
It’s very important. It represents their artistry. You see how Fabolous carries himself differently than Rick Ross who is different from Jeezy but they all have a certain aesthetic to their grooming, how they get their shaping to how Rick Ross maintains his beard.

How do you make a great first impression, and what role if any does facial grooming play in this?
I think, being well-groomed and maintained says a lot about the individual. If you take the time to get your hair cut, if you have facial hair, and if you get manicured, it says a lot about the level of person you are. I think when you’re a professional [grooming] becomes a priority.

Have you ever gotten grooming advice from a woman?
Yeah, absolutely. As a black male, sometimes when you shave, if you don’t shave properly, the way your hairs can grow back can cause razor bumps. I’ve gotten tips from women on cream. Razor bumps are some of the most painful things ever. Women have given me tips on certain creams to use on my face particularly after I shave.

Being in such a high profile position, you must know where the hotspots in the city are. Do you have a favorite club or restaurant?
I don’t know if they are new or not, but Lure Fish Bar is downtown on Mercer across from the Mercer Hotel. Club-wise, it would be Greenhouse.

The G-List is TheUrbandaily.com’s annual celebration of 40 influential men from various walks of life who define what it means to be a trendsetter with style in their field.

Former Def Jam executives like Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, Julie Greenwald and Michael Kyser were also in attendance at the power dinner, and here’s a look at some of the photos from the night.

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On Friday (October 14th), Simmons and the elusive Rubin spoke at the New York Public Library in front of hundreds about the history covered in the book. Before moderator Paul Holdengraber brought the duo to the stage, he read their self-written seven-word introductions. “Def Jam showed me power of faith,” were the words selected by Simmons who rocked a Yankee’s cap, red hoodie, black t-shirt and jeans. Rubin’s self-description stated, “Rick Rubin is a fan of music.”

After all were seated, Holdengraber informed the audience that Rubin, dressed in a black t-shirt, shorts and bare feet, requested everyone in the room close their eyes for three minutes to focus on their breathing and meditate before the conversation got started. The exercise may seem strange, but it must have been effective, because there was a lot of knowledge, wisdom and good vibes in the room.

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Intention
When Def Jam was created, Rubin and Simmons were not doing it for the money, and they had no idea that their little label founded in Rubin’s New York University dorm room would influence a culture. “I’m surprised it ended up being out jobs,” said Rubin.

Their shared goal for the label was to take the hip-hop that was previously only heard in the clubs and put it on wax to “document what hip-hop was like,” Rubin explained. He also just wanted to “help artists make the best music they possibly could.” Simmons observed about Rubin, “He gave people room to breath.”

Unlikely Genius
Rick Rubin was in a punk rock band before Def Jam was launched, and Russell Simmons described his longtime business partner simply, by calling him a “genius.” Rubin wasn’t from the streets, and was first exposed to hip-hop at Manhattan nightclub Negril. But his upbringing didn’t prevent Rubin from getting “swept up” in the culture during its early days.

When talking about Rubin’s process as a producer of some of hip-hop’s most successful early recordings, Simmons recalled, “he made them the way no one could.”

Rubin saw the parallels in rock and hip-hop, and he successfully merged the two genres with “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” by the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC’s groundbreaking collaboration with Aerosmith, “Walk This Way.” Rubin explained his strategy back then and said, “Walk This Way” had an “actual purpose. I wanted to find a song to help bridge the gap” since rock and hip-hop weren’t that different. Public Enemy even seemed to draw inspiration from legendary punk rockers the Clash.

Race Relations
As a Black man working with a White man, Simmons recognized their obvious and latent differences, but described them as “inspiring.” Rubin’s lighter skin didn’t prevent him from connecting with pro-Black material, and he had a deeply emotional reaction to Public Enemy’s pivotal It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. He remembers tearing up and then crying after hearing it for the first time, because “it was so beautiful, so revolutionary, so strong.”

As a White man, Rubin recognized that some of the messages rapped by Public Enemy’s Chuck D weren’t always easy to hear because “it’s a lot of truth that’s hard to digest.” Nevertheless, Rubin consistently defended the group’s right to free speech.

Public Enemy had an important impact on hip-hop culture as a whole, and especially Black people. Simmons described the effect of the PE’s leader Chuck D and credits him for “taking the gold chains off people’s necks and putting on black medallions.” He adds, “It was a positive change.”

End Of An Era
Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin built Def Jam, so when they severed their business ties, many assumed it affected their friendship, but that wasn’t the case. The reason for their professional split was stemmed around the rapid growth of their business. Rubin remembered how they lacked infrastructure, which led to confusion and tension.

Simmons and Rubin may not be with Def Jam anymore, but they are forever linked to this legendary record label. Even though they are the unofficial faces of the company, they didn’t do it alone, and Simmons concluded the conversation by stating, “I went along for ride with a lot of talented people.”

If you want to read the full history of Def Jam, order Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label, which is co-authored by TheUrbanDaily‘s Editorial Director Dan Charnas.

“As a recording artist and a producer over the past eight years, there is no one who has made a greater impression on the game than Kanye. We look forward to working closely with the new and established artists that he will be bringing to G.O.O.D. Music, which is already off to an impressive start with Big Sean,” said [CEO] Mr. Weiss.”
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All you have to do is fill out the form below. We are giving away one copy of each game for the PS3 and the XBox360 gaming systems (no you can’t win both copies). Just answer the trivia question below and winners will be picked at random from the correct answers. Good luck!

Contest ends on December 30, 2010. CLICK HERE FOR FULL RULES

In this exclusive video premiere on TheUrbanDaily, Dan Charnas, author of the epic new book The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop, bursts a few widely-held myths about hip-hop.

Myth #1: Suge Knight sprung Tupac from jail
Myth #2: The Source was the first hip-hop magazine
Myth #3: Kool Herc “invented” hip-hop
Myth #4: “Yo! MTV Raps” was the first rap video show
Myth #5: Russell Simmons Founded Def Jam

Check out the video below:

Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop, is the managing editor of InteractiveOne. Charnas, a Pulitzer Prize Fellow, was one of the first writers for the Source magazine and part of the generation of young writers who helped create hip-hop journalism. His writing has appeared in the Village Voice, the Washington Post, GIANT, and newspapers around the country. He spent 15 years in the music business, starting in the mailroom of Profile Records in the late 80s, and was VP of A&R for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings.

• Purchase The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop here
• Learn more about The Big Payback here.
• Think you know hip-hop history? Take “The Big Payback” Quote Quiz here

In this interview with TheUrbanDaily (conducted before her labelmate showed his arse at the Soul Train Awards) Chrisette insists the “Bawse” is a gentleman, Black Girls still rock and that colored girls don’t consider suicide if their song doesn’t make the soundtrack.

TUD: How has it been working with “the Boss” Rick Ross? You guys have done several songs together including the  “Epiphany”Remix, “Mafia Music, and “Aston Martin” Music.

Chrisette Michele: We also did a song called “So in Love” for my album. He is really a sweety, a gentleman. He is a really nice guy. It’s been easy getting along with each other creatively.

So he didn’t make you write five different hooks like Jay-Z did for “Lost One”?

What’s crazy is that I actually free styled “Aston Martin Music.” He told me the title of the song and I didn’t know what to write about so I just felt my way through the song.

You also worked with Ne-Yo for “I’m a Star.” What was that like?

He did a lot on my last album. This time around, I decided that nobody was working on my album. I was going to hide out and do my album all by myself and come back and say “here’s the record. Put it out.” Then Ne-Yo sent in a song called “I’m a star.”  At first I said that’s not something I believe in, that word makes me feel uncomfortable. But when I listened to the words and verses we all started to talk about going through things and coming out on top. I felt that was inspirational and that was worth giving it a try.

In the video for “I’m a Star” there were a lot of pink bottles. How much Nuvo do you really drink?

I’m not a heavy drinker, can you tell?

You do seem more like the girl in “Super Bad” that bought the liquor for her friends but didn’t drink any of it.

I didn’t even do that. I am such a cornball. It’s really bad. For fun I go to the spa. I’m not a drinker at all.

Your mixtape is called “Love thy Brother.” Why that title?

It’s a prelude to Let Freedom Reign. I felt like I needed to call it something that would [represent] what I think about America. It is a play on words because it is about my blood brother and brothers in society. I feel like the Black boys are still dying. Conscious rappers were so cool back in the day and now it is boring and not so cool anymore. So that was my way of telling my fans that I love them and I am giving [the fans] something for free.

In the beginning of the mixtape you say that you are “Def Jam’s good girl.” Are you giving your labelmate’s hugs and telling them to stop sending off nasty emails?

C: No. I’m not even sure which emails you’re talking about but I had a song on my first album called “Good Girl,” which my mother and I wrote. My definition of a good girl at the time was a girl who could make their own money, asking for nothing, carrying herself like a lady.

So you’re happy with Def Jam…

Yes, this is my third album here. Many people don’t make it this far.

Have  you seen For Colored Girls yet?

I actually saw it while it was being previewed. I was suppose to make music for it, another song on my album called “I Am Not Your Friend, I Am Your Life” didn’t make the soundtrack [for the film].

Why didn’t it make the soundtrack?

I don’t know..

What did you think of the film?

It was incredible. It was really amazing how he took dialogue straight from the original [book] and then allowed young people to hear and see that type of art. It was clever of him to add that prose to the language.

Is there any acting for you in the future?

Absolutely. This year, I’ll be coming to a theater near you in my first musical production. It’s really exciting and I can’t wait for you guys to see it.

Can you tell us the name of it yet?

I want to but I can’t give you the name, even though it is written in stone. It’s very colorful, vibrant, and you’ll get a great laugh. I am playing a comedic role because I’m ready for people to see that I am not completely serious and I’m an absolute clown.

Did you get to tune in to “Black Girls Rock” this year? ?

I got to see it before it aired on BET and I am so proud of the whole entire movement. I was honored in one of them in 2008 and I performed a song called “A Day In Your Life.”

You cut your hair sometime back. What was the motivation?

My hair was like this when I first got signed. Then I grew my hair and cut it. It’s a natural progression. I get bored easily and I’m tired of the status quo that you can’t be natural and beautiful. People told me if I went to my natural texture that it wouldn’t be fashionable and I wouldn’t sell any records. This is my “F You.” That’s how I felt.

So it’s been about 4 years since your career started. What would you say is industry rule #4,081 ?

On this mixtape I actually had a comeback for that very line (that record company people are shady). I took a line from KRS-One’s “Step into the World.” I played his first verse on there. It talks about how we rely on marketing schemes but don’t rely on talent anymore. People think if they put out what they really believe, it won’t sell. The mixtape is not about me wanting to sell, I just have to say this.  It think the next rule is not to be afraid to be a failure. I have a song called “Nobody Sings Along.” No one is singing my songs with me but I still say what I have to say.

What will the next video be from the album?

My favorite record, it is called “Goodbye Games”. I think it should have been the first single. I can’t wait for you guys to hear that song.

Let Freedom Reign is in stores NOW!

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“I feel beasty right now, ” he tells DJ Vlad. ” I’ve been talking that Silverback Gorilla, I said I’m running the jungle. Now they wanna hit me with the ‘Black man you can’t do that.’ But then I’m hearing that’s the best artwork I’ve seen in a long time.  I coulda been on a hot whip with a girl behind me smilin’ with some rims. But I ain’t with that sh*t.”

It’s not as if he’s the first rapper to invoke King Kong or gorilla related imagery in a song, video or image but I guess whatever gets folks talking is good for business, right?

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Early reports indicate that Young Jeezy aka The Snowman has officially made the release date for Thug Motivation: 103 from December 14 to…never. This is the third push since the first date (September 28). His singles “All White Everything” and the Plies-assisted “Lose My Mind” have failed to make noise on the radio waves, iTunes, or in the clubs. Maybe Def Jam did not like the way he responded to former correctional officer-turned-Rapper Rick Ross’ hit “BMF.” Young Jeezy took Ross to task since he was actually affiliated with the notorious drug trafficking organization.

“Rule #4080: Record company people are shady.” -A Tribe Called Quest

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RELATED: Shyne “Jay-Z Said Not To Sign To Def Jam” [EXCLUSIVE]

Now Shyne is singing a different tune, having written a post for XXLMag.com essentially apologizing to and pledging his allegiance to Reid.

A great leader has the unique ability to admit when he’s wrong. Without this ability you suffer the fate of Napoleon and end up dead on your way to Russia.

I was wrong about my assessment of Chairman Reid. After I stopped being all Carl Thomas emotional and things like that, I thought about the facts. Fact is L.A Reid was there when I was locked, a few feet away from death row and the Black Panthers. L.A. was on the visit floor on Rikers Island looking at me through them blinding bars, showing me he believed in that gang boy revolutionary music I make. A bond forged at the nadir of suffering [that’s] unbreakable. That’s why I chose L.A. Reid over all the other distributors. We already went through it. I’ll never forget what L.A. did for me behind that b-wall. Caged like an animal, stripped of all my rights; he gave me freedom— freedom to follow my vision. Freedom to make my momma smile after so many tears and sleepless nights weeping for her baby boy like Rachel the matriarch weeps for the Israelites.

We have to have perspective on the legend [that] L.A. Reid is. 100 million records sold!!! Some of the biggest artists and musicians in the history of popular music have been discovered, mentored or produced by L.A.! Sean Combs and Jermaine Dupri made the biggest hits in music under L.A.’s tutelage. Shyne Po sold almost a million copies from Clinton Maximum Facility with the help of Chairman Reid. Son is one of the best in music—period. More than that, he was the dude that got on the PJ and paid homage to the chief when I was in that cell in them state greens dodging informants and banging on anything that opposed.

I’m loyal to a fault! F#ck it!!! I’m rolling with L.A. “100 Million Sold” Reid ‘til Supreme comes home and runs the rodents outta Queens, N.Y. I’m in it ‘til Sherm “Jonathan Jackson” Worm wins appeal and sits on the throne in Queensbridge. ‘Til Hasan Miller walks out the feds and hops in that four-door Bugatti.

Hmmmm….

We wonder what caused the change of heart. Maybe L.A. pledged to clear up Shyne’s immigration woes so that he can come back to the United States.

RELATED: Nas Blasts Def Jam In Email To LA Reid & Staff: “I Am Nobody’s Slave”

However, the answer to one simple question about his upcoming albums almost rendered the rest of our questions irrelevant.

In February 2010, LA Reid flew down to Belize, where Shyne had been deported to after his release from prison, with a reportedly seven figure recording contract in hand.  On February 16, Shyne once again became a Def Jam Recordings artist.

But apparently, things aren’t going too well for Shyne at the label.

I understand you have two albums dropping this year.  Is that correct?
Not this year. I’m not coming out until first quarter, like March.

One will be under Def Jam and the other under Cash Money?
Right now I don’t know what I’m doing with Def Jam.  It’s a new chairman over at Univesral Music Group, so I don’t know what’s happening over there.

You’re talking about Lucian Grainge who replaced Doug Morris?
Yeah, and I know LA Reid ain’t gonna be there no more. I don’t know what’s happening over there. It all depends on who takes over and his commitment to hip-hop music.  I think that’s why…. It’s really tricky. I don’t like to judge nobody or throw anyone under the bus, but I don’t think there was a strong commitment to hip-hop from LA Reid.  I was on my way out the door a few times and he begged me to stay. Now that he’s leaving, that’s definitely the door opening for me to spin off myself, you dig.  I don’t know the direction they’re going in. I don’t know if they’re gonna put another guy in there that don’t care about hip-hop music.  You understand?  We need people like Russell [Simmons] and Lyor [Cohen] and Jimmy Iovine, people that bled and got their hands dirty and were in the trenches.  We need the Eisenhowers that are gonna be there on the warfield with us to keep this going, and L.A. Reid wasn’t that.  I’m interested to see who they’re gonna put in there. If anything, I might do everything through Cash Money or somebody else, but it’s a real question mark with Def Jam right now.

Last week, a letter Nas had written to Def Jam made its way on to the internet where he was talking about how they only gave him $200,000 budget for the album and he wasn’t having that.  Was it a similar situation with you?
Yeah yeah yeah! You know, I wrote a letter too!  I got a blog on MTV, I’m surprised they haven’t posted that up yet.  It was called “Def Jam Is Dying.” I feel the same way. I’m all with what Nas is saying. Absolutely!  He’s 1000% right!   In the letter I wrote, it says “Def Jam is dying thanks a billion L.A. Reid. Middle finger to you too.”  You know, because he don’t care about us, man.

It’s crazy that you’re telling me this, I said that he don’t understand that Nas and Ghostface are modern day prophets.  When he was perming his hair and getting pedicures and manicures, Jimmy Iovine and Russell were putting in work.  R&B dudes used to run it, and then this hip-hop thing came along and hi-jacked pop culture, and I don’t think L.A.’s one of those dudes that likes that.

At the end of the day, it’s about great music and great people making music.  Nas is really a hero.  What he did for hip-hop is indisputable, and L.A. Reid don’t get that!  This is not about Def Jam the brand, it’s about the Nas brand!  It’s about the music he makes.  You need a machine behind you that believes in that.  These dudes aren’t doing that.  You got executives out there that get an act that sells a few million, and now they think they’re geniuses.  Then you get a person like Nas, who is a legend and has a legacy, and you got a machine that doesn’t know how to preserve this legacy.

In my letter, I talk about how unless you give LA Reid a song with Ne-Yo on it, or one of his R&B singers, you’re outta luck!  That’s not hip-hop!

I used to work at Def Jam some time ago and I saw that happen all the time.  They would sign an R&B singer then next thing you he or she is all over everyone’s record.  I understand the business behind it, but it doesn’t always make artistic sense.
It ain’t even business, my dude. It’s that homeboy don’t mess with hip-hop!  He don’t give a curse word about hip-hop!  He don’t even wanna talk to rappers!  My man told me that, even Jay… it’s crazy…

Just to give you some background, this wasn’t even L.A. Reid’s deal. This was Jimmy Iovine’s deal.  Jimmy Iovine put this paper on the table.  He believed in me.  I was messing with Hova. He was talking to Jimmy on my behalf.  Everybody was supporting me when I came out.  And me and Hov, we got a freeze in our relationship because I didn’t listen to him. He told me not to mess with this dude.  He said “Good luck getting that dude on the phone!”  This is Hov!  This is arguably one of the most influential musicians ever, the most influential of our generation, you understand!   How do you not renew his contract?  Nobody talks about the fact that Hov dropped the label.  He broke out!  That oughta tell you something when you can’t keep the biggest rapper around.  That shows how much L.A. cares about the music.  He don’t get it!  It ain’t even business with him.  He don’t get the culture.  He don’t understand why we talk the way we talk, dress the way we dress… He thinks we need to put a suit on and you need to be clean and have an R&B singer on our record for us to  go anywhere.  Now Outkast was a fluke!

I was just having that conversation with someone recently.  No other hip-hop act that was signed to LaFace had any major success aside from Outkast and Goodie Mob to an extent.  You mention a group like “Highland Place Mobsters” to somebody and they have no idea who you’re talking about.  When he was running Arista, if it wasn’t for Bad Boy being part of the company at the time, there wouldn’t have been much of a hip-hop presence at the company.   When your first album came out, L.A. was the man in charge at Arista right?
Yeah he was over there.  But you know, one thing I can say about my co-defendant [Diddy] is that no one tells him what to do.  So he was doing whatever he wanted to do.  So L.A. Reid can’t take credit for that.  At least Clive Davis, he may not get hip-hop, but he’ll support you.  A lot of these guys, they may not get hip-hop, but if you’re gonna be in the business, you give it your all!  You gonna find the guy that knows what he doing, and you roll with him.  But homeboy, he ain’t been able to do that.  When I was on Bad Boy, that was all ol’ boy [Diddy], That didn’t have nothing to do with LA Reid.

[Ed. Note:  Def Jam declined to comment]

Is your relationship with Jimmy Iovine good enough where you could go to him and get a deal with Interscope?
I can’t really get into that right now because we’re in a legal situation.  My lawyers are going through my exit right now. So I don’t wanna put my cards out on the table right now.  But Jimmy is definitely someone I admire, and someone I want to deal with.  Whenever your gut tells you something, you go with it.  But the Devil always comes by and tries to throw you off from where you’re going. “Hey look! There’s a shortcut over there!”  I’d love to work with Jimmy if the opportunity presented itself.

I was looking at an old interview you had done while you were incarcerated. The topic of your name came up and you said that you were detaching yourself from the name “Shyne” and people were just calling you Po.” Why did you go back to Shyne?
King Solomon said that there is a time for everything. When I was in the pen, what these people don’t understand is that this isn’t CB4. This ain’t some 8 Mile movie. Everything is not going to end okay. When I’m in the pen, I’m in there with murderers and killers. Ain’t no rapping in there. “You’re a rapper?  You’re a who?” They don’t want to here that. The only thing they want to know is if you have your ratchet and go gun somebody. Don’t walk with them if you’re not ready to bang on the police. All that rapping stuff meant nothing to nobody. They wanted to know since I was busting that gun in the club, am I ready to bang now. So I was “Po.” There was no Shyne. There was no time for that. That’s not who I was. I was a man trying to understand why I was dealt this hand. There was no time to be thinking about rapping and music. I was in a real life situation. I’m not one of these people out here getting pulled over with a gun the week before my album comes out so I could be in the New York Post. I’m talking about ten years of my life. I’m talking about the fact that I might die in prison. I might have to kill somebody in prison. I might come out and have nothing. So I’m trying to figure it out. And the best person to figure that out was intially “Po” and eventually Moses Leviy.

Did you write while you were locked up, or did all of that get put on the back burner?
I made a lot of records and a few albums. It was really a gift. It was God letting me know that he didn’t forget me. It wasn’t something abstract. I didn’t catch the bad end. It was deliberate, orchestrated. We live in a Godless world. I believed in this all my life and going to the pen was no different. When I’m up there stressing about my mom, I didn’t know what was happening to her. Sometimes you can’t use the phone for a month. You don’t know what is happening in the outside world. Through all that, I had the ability to make music. Even on the bus, shackled up with a song in my head. When I was starving in my cell with no food to eat, I had a record. That’s how I knew I was a musician. It was a gift that the Most High gave to me, the ability to create music throughout my lowest point.

So it helped you get through everything?
I guess you could call it that in some small way. It was just a part of getting through it. Praying and being a good dude got me through it. I took the food I had and made sure everybody was eating. Minding my business and always trying to help, trying to be a stand-up dude is what got me through it. The music was part of that. It wasn’t the ultimate factor, it played a role in the day to day. I would lift weights, run around the yard, gunning somebody down, I made records about those things. I’m a music dude and He didn’t take that gift away from me.

Is there a difference between Shyne the MC back in the 90s and Shyne in 2010?
Yeah. I have been putting out these letters. I did a few things for MTV you might want to check out. I go into the details of what happened. What it goes down to is not Shyne the MC, but Moses Leviy. It goes down to the man. You have to understand what I went through. This wasn’t going to a daycare center for a couple months or a year. This was ten years! You have a son and he would grow pubic hairs in ten years! We had three presidents. So many things take place in ten years. What do you think happened to me in 10 years? I was fighting for my life. Like I said in my letter, Jamal died and came back as Moses Leviy.

When my mom came to see me, I couldn’t cry. When my mom got up and left, what was I suppose to do? Trembling with my lips and looking all shaky? No. I had to suck it up. “It is what it is, mom I love you, I’ll call you. Be safe!” So when I wanted to tear somebody’s head off, I can’t get all emotional and let the cops know what I’m thinking about. That’s how I get knocked. No matter what I was going through, I had no emotion. I became numb. When a person is going through war and he gets shot on the battle field, he is going to run until he is somewhere safe. That’s when he is going to realize he just got shot in the leg and he can’t walk.

The point is I shut down from the pain. I became numb. When I came out and started making records. I was still the boss I was in the pen. I was emotionless. So when you listen to first records I put out, there was no life there. If you listen to the new stuff, there’s life there. That’s the difference.

RELATED: Nas Blasts Def Jam In Email To LA Reid & Staff: “I Am Nobody’s Slave”

RELATED: Former G-Unit Pres. Sha Money XL Joins Def Jam Records

Evidently frustrated with the lack of promotion of his upcoming Lost Tapes 2 album Nas fired off a letter to the executives at Def Jam saying that he is “nobody’s slave” and that they don’t understand rap music. Read on…

From: Nas

To: LA Reid, Steve Bartels, Steve Gawley, Michael Seltzer, Joseph Borrino, Chris Hicks

Subject: PUT MY SHIT OUT!

Peace to all,

With all do respect to you all, Nas is NOBODY’s slave. This is not the 1800′s, respect me and I will respect you.

I won’t even tap dance around in an email, I will get right into it. People connect to the Artist @ the end of the day, they don’t connect with the executives. Honestly, nobody even cares what label puts out a great record, they care about who recorded it. Yet time and time again its the executives who always stand in the way of a creative artist’s dream and aspirations. You don’t help draw the truth from my deepest and most inner soul, you don’t even do a great job @ selling it. The #1 problem with DEF JAM is pretty simple and obvious, the executives think they are the stars. You aren’t…. not even close. As a matter of fact, you wish you were, but it didn’t work out so you took a desk job. To the consumer, I COME FIRST. Stop trying to deprive them! I have a fan base that dies for my music and a RAP label that doesn’t understand RAP. Pretty fucked up situation

This isn’t the 90′s though. Beefing with record labels is so 15 years ago. @ this point I just need you all to be very clear where I stand and how I feel about “my label.” I could go on twitter or hot 97 tomorrow and get 100,000 protesters @ your building but I choose to walk my own path my own way because since day one I have been my own man. I did business with Tommy Mottola and Donnie Einer, two of the most psycho dudes this business ever created. I worked well with them for one major reason……. they believed in me. The didn’t give a fuck about what any radio station or magazine said….those dudes had me.

Lost Tapes is a movement and a very important set up piece for my career as it stands. I started this over 5 years ago @ Columbia and nobody knew what it was or what it did but the label put it out as an LP and the fans went crazy for it and I single handlely built a new brand of rap albums. It’s smart and after 5 years it’s still a head of the game. This feels great and you not feeling what I’m feeling is disturbing. Don’t get in the way of my creativity. We are aligned with the stars here, this is a movement. There is a thing called KARMA that comes to haunt you when you tamper with the aligning stars. WE ARE GIVING THE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. Stop throwing dog shit on a MAGICAL moment.

You don’t get another Nas recording that doesn’t count against my deal….PERIOD! Keep your bullshit $200,000.00 fund. Open the REAL budget. This is a New York pioneers ALBUM, there ain’t many of us. I am ready to drop in the 4th quarter. You don’t even have shit coming out! Stop being your own worst enemy. Let’s get money!

-N.Jones

According to sources the Lost Tapes 2 album is finished but the label says it will not count toward his obligations to the company. Nas signed to Def Jam in 2006 and has put out albums,  Hip-Hop Is Dead and Untitled, with the historic rap music label. Earlier this year he released an album with Damon Marley called Distant Relatives on Universal.  Nas announced in September that another collection of music, Lost Tapes 2, would be coming this year and released a single with Green Lantern called, “Paper, Power & P—.”

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When a video surfaced of Keith Murray ranting about fighting Tupac Shakur in the House of Blues I breathed a sigh of relief. I’m not condoning Murray’s  violence, I just think that anyone whose led the kind of life Murray has  should be allowed to vent every once in a while. It’s for all of our sakes. Trust me.

In 2003 I interviewed Keith Murray for The Source magazine when he was promoting his Def Jam debut He’s Keith Murray. It was one of his first interviews after serving three years for an assault conviction in Connecticut. In our conversation he revealed some pretty heart-breaking facts about his life that lead me to believe that Keith was just “working it out” that night on the street and the cameras just happened to be rolling.

We very easily could have been watching a video of Keith actually fighting someone, or worse, so here are 5 reasons I don’t think we should judge him.

1.Dear Momma

Murray’s appetite for destruction is in his DNA. His late mother Darlene used to steal clothing to fund her drug habit. She contracted HIV from intravenous drug use and when the family home burned down in 1992, the soot from the debris wreaked havoc on her weakened immune system and killed her. His aunt was murdered in Central Park three years before this.

2.Father Disfigures

His father, a former X-Ray technician, was a heavy drinker and died of cirrhosis before Keith’s freshman year of high school. His stepfather, a Jamaican-born drug dealer kept him in the criminal life style.

3. Sisterly Love
His youngest sister Christina contracted HIV from their mother and died at 15 on Feb 27, 1998. Murray went to Prison 6 months later. He wrote a song dedicated to her on his album, He’s Keith Murray.

4. Self Defense

Keith caught his first bid a week before Senior year finals. “My moms was coming from the store and this dude that bought drugs from us kept approaching her. I got up on him and I cut him from his ear to his neck. I did six months with five years of probation. I served the six in a dorm in Riverhead.”

5. Innocence Lost
Murray was convicted in 1997 and sentenced to five years in prison for assault in a CT night club. After serving three years he still maintained his innocence. “They found me guilty, naturally, because of my history. Once you go to trial, they bring up your past. I’m your No. 1 candidate to split a nigga wig but I ain’t do it.”

Murray attended court-mandated anger management classes, but that didn’t stop him from assaulting a Def Jam staffer later on.  So let’s just be grateful he is just reminiscing on his fights instead of actually fighting folks now.

“My psychiatrist diagnosed me with post-childhood trauma and selective memory. All the things I’ve been through have traumatized me. It’s a miracle I’ve made it where I am without recognizing my issues.”

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SLANG EDITORIAL: The Death Of “Swagger”

He was in Paris for the launch of his Def Jam Rapstar game.

“I’m gonna go back in for young America because I think it’s needed, I think it’s missing and the mentorship needs to be there.”

He says Trey was one of the first artists he saw that was a star!

Click here, for full article.

“I’ll always be Def Jam”

Kevin Liles: Workin’ For Diddy Is Dandy!

Former Def Jam Exec Goes From Prison Bars To Rhyme Bars

Russell Simmons Calls Out O’Reilly & Rush Limbaugh

Top 5 Hip-Hop Punchouts

Lil’ Ru was claiming to be the king of wherever(who cares) and got punched in the mouth for it!

Lil Ru- Nasty Song

Former Def Jam Exec Goes From Prison Bars To Rhyme Bars

Former G-Unit Pres. Sha Money XL Joins Def Jam Records

In part two of our “Day In The Life” with record executive Tony Austin he takes us behind the scenes of his adult night spot, The 2′Clock Club in Baltimore.

RELATED: Former Def Jam Exec Goes From Prison Bars To Rhyme Bars

R&B producer The-Dream, label mate Mariah Carey and Def Jam Records are facing a lawsuit over a duet production from The-Dream’s album Love vs. Money.

Preston Marshall and Demario Driver have filed a lawsuit against the singers and record label Island Def Jam for copyright infringement over the production of “My Love,” seeking $450,000 in damages, according to YoRaps.com.

RELATED: The-Dream Covers Aaliyah’s “One In A Million”

The producers claim they emailed their song “Are You The One” to music executive Jeff Huffman in 2008 only to hear a version of it on The-Dream’s album Love vs. Money the following year.

To  read their statement go to Singersroom.com

One half of ATL’s greatest rap group, Outkast has just inked a solo record deal with Def Jam.

Big Boi announced on Twitter over the weekend that he’d just signed a one-album deal with the label who will be releasing his long-delayed solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty.

“The ink is on the paper!!! Breaking news!!! It’s official! Big Boi signs solo album deal with Def Jam! More details to come….”

The deal reunites Big Boi with Island Def Jam chairman, L.A. Reid who signed Outkast to LaFace records in the early 1990s.

It’s unknown when Sir Lucious Left Foot will exactly be hitting stores, so stay tuned!

RELATED: VIDEO: Big Boi, Too $hort, George Clinton “Fo Yo Sorrows”

RELATED: AUDIO: Janelle Monae & Big Boi “Tight Rope”

Four months after being released from prison and then deported to Belize, Shyne has reportedly signed a seven-figure deal with Def Jam Records.

Miss Info reports that the label won a bidding war over the rapper, whose 2004 album, Godfather Buried Alive, was released on Def Jam while he was in jail.

Now, kudos to the man for locking down a deal, but in 2010, who signs seven-figure deals, aside from Drake???

While there has been a lot of buzz over Shyne since his release, is it enough to warrant a label doing that kind of deal for an artist who released one platinum album 10 years ago, a follow-up that wasn’t worth the plastic it was pressed on, and… well… there was that verse on that DJ Khaled record that leaked a few weeks ago that was doo-doo…

And how is Shyne gonna promote his album in the United States, a country he was deported from?!???!??

This whole thing has FAIL written all over it.

The rumor mill has been buzzing for awhile that Def Jam head, L.A. Reid, was on his way out, and if this Shyne project flops, I believe that will be the final nail in Reid’s coffin.

RELATED: Shyne Turned Away By UK Immigration Officials

RELATED: VIDEO: Shyne Talks About Barack Obama To Students In Belize

If you forgot to pay your cable bill VH1 was kind enough to post the entire Hip-Hop Honors broadcast online in LD (low definition). If you watched the show tell us what you think and make sure to check out our interview with Def Jam’s first artist, T La Rock!

From XXL via NR

“Def Jam is the dopest label in hip-hop, in the culture of hip-hop,” he said. “There really would be no hip-hop as we know it today if it wasn’t for Def Jam. But you don’t get that respect without also being the label that single-handedly destroyed hip-hop.”

Watch the clip for more insight from the teacher.

Check out some of those other projects KRS mentioned!

VH1 gave tribute to Def Jam last night in Brooklyn, NY at the 2009 Hip Hop Honors! Everyone was there including DMX, Foxy Brown, Method Man, Redman and Ja Rule & Ashanti! Check out the photos below:

DMX goes in on R. Kelly, Ja Rule and more!

Via thesmugger.com

It’s a Beyonce and Rihanna world. Nobody knows this better than Amerie Rogers.

The trademarked long-legged singer has been label mates with one paparazzi-stalked pop diva on Columbia for the better part of the decade, and now she’s sharing roster space with another on Def Jam. Still, she’s always held her own in her own little Hip-Hop tinged corner in the fickle music circus that is R&B.

Unfortunately, after a very promising spark in the first half of her career the long-legged D.C.-reared military brat has mostly seen musical downs since her Rich Harrison-produced break-out single “1 Thing” peaked on the music charts four years ago.

She’s ready for a fresh start and so, Amerie is readying her third official U.S. release with In Love and War, due out in November on Def Jam Records. She tells us what happened.

The Smugger: You left Columbia and you have your new album coming up on Def Jam. To start off, just give me some background on your upcoming album In Love and War.

Amerie: The album, it’s pretty much about the ups and downs of love and growing pains.
Sonically , it’s Hip-Hop, Soul and Rock. A fusion of all three.

Why did you leave Columbia? You were supposed to come out with your third album Because I Love It but it only dropped overseas and not stateside. What happened?

Yeah, it didn’t come out stateside. It came out overseas and it was supposed to be released about five months after it released overseas but there were so many executive changes [at Columbia] that I just kind of was a little hesitant on releasing it. I didn’t feel like it would get the support that it needed. So you know, actually, they were pretty committed to supporting it but they wanted to release a single and then take a break because of the next quarter. I mean, it wasn’t so much not support but it was certain things that had to be done. You know, like every quarter has it’s budgets and things like that. I could see how that wasn’t going to work for the project. That’s what really made me decide to move on even though I had been thinking about moving to a new label for a couple years before hand. I made sure I thought about it for a long time before I made that move. At the time, speaking with LA Reid I was kind of figuring out if that’s what I wanted to do.

Why did they want to wait five months to put out a record in the U.S. especially when you had so much momentum going into that album stemming from the success of your second album Touch and the “1 Thing” single? That doesn’t make sense to me.

Because when they let the [European] market hear it the record company wanted to go with a single that we were not trying to go with here. They decided to go with it and we just let them do it. So we were like, “Um, okay”. Then it kind of picked up and we tried to time it so that we would going with our first single here in the U.S. so they would be on it as well and it would be their second single. But the timing was just all mixed up. We were thinking it would kind of be a slow build but it started to go fast. So we had to hurry. You ideally want it to be a simultaneous release. But the timing of it was a big difference. The timing wasn’t really right.

You lost a lot of momentum because of all of that. How are you planning to get your momentum back? You had to compete with Beyonce on Columbia and promotional resources and now you go to Def Jam where you have Rihanna and a bunch other R&B and Hip-Hop superstars on that label.

Well, the promotion budget at Def Jam are usually already allocated. It’s nothing like being at Sony where all the money goes to one artist. It’s definitely spread out. It just depends because you look at Sony and you can see, for urban artists, its not many urban artists at all. They’ve changed a lot. But even at the time it was Beyonce, but then you have someone like Def Jam, or well, Island/Def Jam because Mariah Carey is actually on Island so, its a couple females, not a lot, but you also have a very big rap roster. You got Kanye, Jeezy, Rick Ross, and Fab, they all exist on that one label. So, it can be done. It just depends on the company . Actually, Sony they haven’t really broken a lot of new urban acts since like 2001.Their urban department has been kind of shifty. Def Jam, they kind of specialize in working with urban music.

Did LA Reid play a big part on why you signed to Def Jam or did it have more to do with their marketing specialty you just spoke about?

LA Reid is pretty much the reason why signed to Def Jam. We talked about doing something in the future but I was already signed to Columbia. When the opportunity presented itself and I was absolutely sure that I wanted to leave then there were more serious conversations about it. But he is the reason how I came there and our conversations is how we made it happen. Def Jam has a great promotional staff and very great marketing staff. They are really really great at what they do and that is very very important. This is my first time working within that machine. But so far, I really like the way that they do it.

Do you think “Why R U” was received as well as you thought it would be? I know Funk Master Flex loved it, a lot of journalists loved it when they heard it.

I think it’s really good. Sometimes people release their music by going for adds in the beginning and they premiere it on a radio station. I never do that. How I was broken as an artist in the beginning was through the DJs. I always come with something for the DJs because they really support me .They are the ones who actually started me off. So, what I like to do is get it to the DJs first, and then let it go on mix shows then, let it go to the clubs and get it to anyone to who is spinning and let them live with it for a while.

Who did you work with on the album? What was your approach going into the record you were making over the last two years?

Creating the record, I just really wanted to talk about things that happened to me in the past, past situations. The album is largely autobiographical. I really wanted to talk about that kind of period, the growing pains period. I wanted to approach it from a very realistic standpoint. There are a couple of stories that a couple of close girlfriends have gone through in their relationships. Everyone goes through the same kind of thing. That’s why I called it In Love and War. That battle aspect of being in a relationship. I worked with Teddy Riley, The Buchanans, who produced “Why R U”, Warren Campbell, Jim Jonsin, Cool & Dre. I also collaborated with Fabolous and Trey Songz.

I know I didn’t see Rich Harrison’s name on the producer credits. He produced your first two albums and gave you “1 Thing”, your biggest hit to date, yet he’s missing from your last two projects. What is your relationship with him now and why haven’t you worked with him over this album?

This album he was more focused on his acts- a girl group named Richgirl and a young male singer Young Steff. I am actually signed to a company that that he and I co-founded. I’m actually signed to Def Jam through them. So he’s my business partner. But the next project I think it would be cool for us to get together.

I wanted to touch more on your bi-racial background. How did growing up in both Korean and Black cultural backgrounds help shape you?

Korean was my first language. I spoke that before I spoke English. I stayed in Korea until I was like three or four. My mother stopped speaking Korean so I took courses later on to learn to read and write in Korean. As far as growing up, you go through your fair share of teasing. I can say I was teased because I was biracial but you can be teased for having brown hair or because your hair is curly but it’s a part of growing up, I think. Kids can find a reason to tease you for anything. I never felt like I wasn’t Korean or I wasn’t Black. I always felt like I was both.

When coming out Eminem admitted that being White, at first, kind of worked against him but now his race works for him. Do you think that being mixed works for you or against you when trying to sell records? Does your label purposefully try to capitalize on your “exoticness”?

They never really push that. It’s not like I’m ever in front of the American or Korean flag like that.
Funny enough, many people don’t even know [about my racial background]. It’s not something that is pushed all the time.

Why R U – Amerie

Follow me at Twitter.com/youngpharoh

Singer/songwriter/producer The Dream can now add label executive to his title, as he ‘s been named Vice President of Island Def Jam Music Group.

The Dream, born Terius Nash, made the announcement today (August 27) via his official Twitter page.

“I wanna thank everyone at Island Records/DefJam for their faith in me and making me Executive Vice President of Island Records,” The Dream said in a statement on his Twitter page. “Thank you to my team..my manager Mark Stewart & my attorney Aaron Rosenberg for getting this 1st step of a goal accomplished.”

He went on to thank a number of inudstry executives who have supported him, including his production partner Tricky Stewart and Island Def Jam Chairman, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Universal Records’ Chairman Doug Morris.

“I look forward to the challenge of rebuilding music for not only Island Records But for Universal Records as a whole. Today I’m humbled and blessed,” The Dream said.

STORY CONTINUED AT ALLHIPHOP.COM

As one of the most talked about artists in the history of the genre, Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 has been the topic of conversation since it was announced. With production from Kanye West, No I.D., and Timbaland, the album stands as one of the most anticipated discs of the year. Now, with the release date approaching, Jay is ready to unveil his artwork and tracklisting.

Kid Cudi, Rihanna, Nas, Drake are slated to be guest stars on the album, according to the unofficial tracklisting.

The artwork for the album is a celebration of musical instruments. It features various instruments painted white with a white background and three red stripes in front of this to signify that this is the third in the Blueprint series.

The tracklisting, which has made its rounds on the net, features information that may or may not change between now and the album’s September 11 release date.

1. What We Talking About (Produced by Kanye West)
2. D.O.A. (Produced by No I.D.)
3. Weigh Me Down Feat. Kid Cudi (Produced by Kanye West)
4. Unforgiven (Produced by Kanye West, Additional Production: MGMT)
5. Run This Town Feat. Rihanna & Kanye West (Produced by Kanye West)
6. Empire State Of Mind Feat. Nas (Produced by Kanye West & No I.D.)
7. When It Comes To This (Produced by Timbaland)
8. Always Feat. Drake (Produced by Kanye West)
9. Scenes From The Past (Produced by No I.D., Co-produced by Kanye West)
10. Everyday A Star Is Born Feat. Mr. Hudson (Produced by Kanye West)
11. Already Home (Produced by Kanye West)
12. Forever Young (Feat. Mr. Hudson, Produced by Kanye West)
13. Thank You (Produced by No I.D.)
Bonus Tracks:
14. Sound Of The 70s (Produced by Kanye West)
15. We Made History (Produced by Kanye West)

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VIA EUR:

Billboard is reporting that Island Def Jam Music Group is using the Sept. 15 release of Mariah Carey’s album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” to launch a new business model: integrating brands into artists’ CD booklets.

The first deal will involve a 34-page co-production with Elle magazine that includes lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Métier de Beauté and the Bahamas Board of Tourism.

Providing the Carey experiment goes well, the label is eyeing bigger brand deals for booklets of CDs by Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Kanye West and other artists.’ The mini magazine contains Mariah-centric editorial (“VIP Access to Her Sexy Love Life,” “Amazing Closet,” “Recording Rituals”) and lifestyle advertising along with lyrics and other CD booklet elements. Elle contributed the editorial and designed the layout.

The booklets were created for the first run of U.S. CDs (1 million) and the first 500,000 overseas, said Jeff Straughn, svp-strategic marketing for Island Def Jam Music Group. It will also be available in a digital format for those who buy music online. A condensed version of the Mariah magazine, sans the 14 pages of CD-specific material, will be inserted into 500,000 subscription copies of Elle’s October issue, which arrives mid-September.

Carey was “very open” to the concept when IDJ chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid showed her a mock-up of the booklet in a magazine format that included brand imagery synonymous with her lifestyle. “I wouldn’t want to do Mariah Carey and Comet abrasive cleaner,” Reid said, laughing. “I wanted things that really reflected her taste.”

Will this keep Def Jam at Motown status? Peep our gallery and share your thoughts in the comments section below!

It’s a recession, so you know folks are definitely trying to keep all their pennies to themselves. No one has more access to the dinero than Lil Scrappy and Big Bank Ludacris. The A-Town rappers have managed to partner up (Scrappy signed to DTP a minute ago) and are looking to groom the energetic rapper for more street success in hopes that he cracks Billboard again.

Their song, “Addicted To Money,” sums it all up. Peep the song above and share your favorite musical moment about our ATL gallery below in the comments section:

Loso’s Way got a thumbs up by the streets and the critics, so it’s only right that the Brooklyn MC get his promo game on and poppin’.

The Def Jam rapper makes the cover of Don Diva magazine and cements his spot underneath the spotlight.

Peep this video from the homie and let us know what you think about Fabolous’ new album if you’ve heard it!