January 28: Def Jam Releases “It’s Yours” (1984)
January 28, 1984 – On This Date In Hip-Hop, Def Jam released its very 1st single to don the Def Jam logo. Most would think it’s LL Cool J’s “I Need a Beat” but it was actually before Rick Rubin teamed with Russell Simmons and it was T La Rock and Jazzy J’s “It’s Yours. Russell Simmons confirmed this in 1996 to the New York Times. The label would grow to become one of the greatest Hip-Hop labels out and home to LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Cam’ron, DMX, EPMD, Jay-Z, Method Man, Slick Rick, Warren G, Big Sean, Logic, Jeezy, YG, Nas and many many more.
Responses