DEF JAM RECORDINGS CO-FOUNDERS RICK RUBIN AND RUSSELL SIMMONS IN CONVERSATION AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14There are countless great stories about the music business, but the story of Def Jam Recordings may well be the most intriguing of them all. When the now-legendary founders of Def Jam, Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, first met, no one could have predicted that the company they created would come to define hip-hop culture and become one of the most distinctive, influential and enduring record labels in the history of the business.
During its first 25 years, Def Jam presided over one of the most significant cultural shifts in our country’s history, as hip-hop became the dominant mode of expression for the youth of America.
Time magazine named seven-time Grammy-winning record producer Rick Rubin one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World, Rolling Stone called him “the most successful producer in any genre,” MTV declared him “the most important producer of the last 20 years,” and Interview magazine said that he “has done as much to redirect the ch’i of popular music over the last three decades as many of the artists he has produced.”
Russell Simmons is a visionary entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist who has presided over a fashion empire and produced successful projects for film, television and the stage.
Rubin and Simmons will make a rare joint appearance at the New York Public Library on Friday, October 14 at 7 pm to celebrate the publication of Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label, (Rizzoli, October) an art book featuring scores of iconic images, rare artifacts, and memorabilia alongside captivating text written by Bill Adler and Dan Charnas (Rizzoli, October). The NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber will moderate the conversation.
The event will be held at the Stephen A Schwarzman Building, South Court Auditorium, at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. General admission tickets are $25.00, $15.00 for Friends of the Library, seniors and students with a valid ID. To reserve tickets, go to https://www.showclix.com/event/defjam.
