Coming off its 30th anniversary showcase at SXSW, Def Jam continues to celebrate its milestone year by releasing four reissues this month: Kanye West”s “808s & Heartbreak”; Public Enemy”s “Icon”; Ludacris” “Back For The First Time” and T La Rock/Jazzy Jay”s “It”s Yours.” Check out the details below.
Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons started Def Jam in a New York University dorm room and went on to release some of the most significant albums in hip-hop. The label”s current roster includes 2 Chainz, Frank Ocean, Big Sean and Jhene Aiko.
“We have seen this homegrown American music grow from a local underground scene to a worldwide phenomenon,” Rubin and Simmons said in a statement. “Today Def Jam remains the gold standard for taste, culture, and revolutionary thought. To quote the Chuck D line: 'Def Jam tells you who I am…'”
Here”s the complete list of Def Jam”s March reissues:
3/3/14 – T La Rock/Jazzy Jay, “It”s Yours” (12” reissue)
3/11/14 – Public Enemy, “Icon” (1CD version)
3/18/14 – Kanye West, “808s & Heartbreak” (2LP/CD collector”s set reissue)
3/25/14 – Ludacris, “Back For The First Time” (LP with lenticular treatment cover)