NOWNESS: 25 Years of Def Jam Recordings

In their upcoming Rizzoli publication, Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label, founders Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons catalog the progression of their humble “experimental art project” beginnings to the creation of the most influential rap labels in history. In anticipation of the duo’s forthcoming book, NOWNESS preview a few excerpts of the illustrious founders recalling their first impressions of one another in 1984. With a little help from Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz, the article offers a candid interaction between the label’s founders as well as an archival photo set previewing the book’s forthcoming content. A release is slated for October 11 through book publisher Rizzoli.