Def Jam South
Encyclopedia
Def Jam South is the southern division of Def Jam Recordings
. The label is best-known for launching the career of Ludacris
and his Disturbing tha Peace
group and label. In 2003, the label shut down but was relaunched in 2005. They have also jump-started the career of Young Jeezy
.
and East Coast hip hop to Southern hip hop. Founder of NY Label Def Jam Russell Simmons
wanted to capitalize off of the success of southern rap. He recruited Scarface
, a southern rap legend and former member of the Geto Boys
to be the head of the label and, by 1999, the label was established. Also in 1999, an Atlanta DJ named Chris Luva Luva began rapping under the moniker Ludacris
and released his debut solo album Incognegro
independently on his own record label Disturbing tha Peace
. Scarface listened to the album while visiting Atlanta and made a deal to distribute Ludacris and his DTP label through Def Jam. Ludacris became one of the biggest stars in the hip hop market and would lead the label to great heights. Despite this, Island Def Jam could not afford to finance the label anymore so they shut it down in 2003.
and his Corporate Thugz
Entertainment imprint. Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy would release his debut album, which would go platinum and revive the label. New releases from the DTP camp kept the label on the radio and gained them more recognition than they ever had in their previous run. In 2006, they were able to reach a distribution deal with Slip-n-Slide Records
to release albums from their artists signed from that point on. In December 2005, Cash Money Records
producer Mannie Fresh
announced that he was leaving that label. Fresh was quickly signed on to become the new CEO of Def Jam South. Scarface would end up leaving the label in 2003, returning for a one-album deal. As of 2009, DJ Khaled has been appointed president of the label.
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
. The label is best-known for launching the career of Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and his Disturbing tha Peace
Disturbing Tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace is a record label founded by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, his manager Chaka Zulu and Zulu's brother Jeff Dixon...
group and label. In 2003, the label shut down but was relaunched in 2005. They have also jump-started the career of Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
.
Beginnings
In the late 1990s, hip hop's main popularity moved from West Coast hip hopWest Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
and East Coast hip hop to Southern hip hop. Founder of NY Label Def Jam Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
wanted to capitalize off of the success of southern rap. He recruited Scarface
Scarface (rapper)
Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
, a southern rap legend and former member of the Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
to be the head of the label and, by 1999, the label was established. Also in 1999, an Atlanta DJ named Chris Luva Luva began rapping under the moniker Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and released his debut solo album Incognegro
Incognegro
Incognegro is the independently released debut album by American rapper Ludacris. Most of the tracks were reused in his major label debut Back for the First Time except for "It Wasn't Us" "Midnight Train" and "A Rock and a Hard Place"....
independently on his own record label Disturbing tha Peace
Disturbing Tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace is a record label founded by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, his manager Chaka Zulu and Zulu's brother Jeff Dixon...
. Scarface listened to the album while visiting Atlanta and made a deal to distribute Ludacris and his DTP label through Def Jam. Ludacris became one of the biggest stars in the hip hop market and would lead the label to great heights. Despite this, Island Def Jam could not afford to finance the label anymore so they shut it down in 2003.
Revival through Jeezy (2005-present)
In early 2005, Def Jam announced that they were relaunching the label and that Ludacris and DTP were returning along with new act Young JeezyYoung Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
and his Corporate Thugz
Corporate Thugz
Corporate Thugz Entertainment is a record label founded by rapper Young Jeezy and his childhood friend Kinky B and owned by Def Jam Recordings.-Corporate Thugz Entertainment:...
Entertainment imprint. Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy would release his debut album, which would go platinum and revive the label. New releases from the DTP camp kept the label on the radio and gained them more recognition than they ever had in their previous run. In 2006, they were able to reach a distribution deal with Slip-n-Slide Records
Slip-n-Slide Records
-History:Ted Lucas founded the label in 1994. Slip-n-Slide signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular album Based on a True Story and broke into mainstream success the next year with www.thug.com having dropped "Dollars" from his stage name...
to release albums from their artists signed from that point on. In December 2005, Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011...
producer Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
announced that he was leaving that label. Fresh was quickly signed on to become the new CEO of Def Jam South. Scarface would end up leaving the label in 2003, returning for a one-album deal. As of 2009, DJ Khaled has been appointed president of the label.
Artists
- DJ KhaledDJ KhaledKhaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
- LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
- Young JeezyYoung JeezyJay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
- Playaz CirclePlayaz CirclePlayaz Circle is a rap duo signed to the Def Jam Recordings record label.-Biography:The duo was formed in 1997 by two childhood friends 2 Chainz and Dolla Boy in College Park, GA. They created the acronym Playaz which stands for Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A-Z...
- Rick RossRick RossRick, Ricky or Richard Ross may also refer to:* Rick Ross , American rapper* Richard J. Ross, a Massachusetts State Senator* Richard Ross , an American photographer...
- Lil ScrappyLil ScrappyDarryl Kevin Richardson II , better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.Richards was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar, when a fight broke out during his set in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia...
- The-DreamThe-DreamTerius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
- Ace HoodAce HoodAntoine McColister, better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. He is signed to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Def Jam Recordings...
- U.S.D.A.United Streets Dopeboyz of AmericaU.S.D.A. is a hip hop group from Atlanta, Georgia. The group's founder, Atlanta-based rapper Young Jeezy, officially brought the group mainstream after his departure from Boys n da Hood...
- Young Zasta