H85.1132 History & Criticism 2 Credits
Instructor(s): Staff
Founded over twenty years ago in an NYU dorm room by then-student Rick Rubin and his partner Russell Simmons, Def Jam is now widely considered the greatest record label in the history of hip-hop. Def Jam led a cutting-edge revolution by transforming New York's black street music and culture in to a global youth movement. This course will offer students an in-depth look at the evolution of the record company as we study the careers of the label's chief executives-Rubin, Simmons, and Lyor Cohen-and the marketing methods used to sell the label's unorthodox stars. We will listen to recordings by and study the careers of the label's most important artists including LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Onyx, Method Man, Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, and Kanye West.
In addition to the required reading, we will also view selected music videos and documentary films, and there will be class visits to the class by former Def Jam artists, producers, and staff members. Students should leave the course with a better understanding of the executives who founded the label, the artists who recorded for it, and the development of hip-hop in general- as well as with an enhanced ability to think and write critically about hip-hop culture.
