Which Artist Had the Best Run at Def Jam?

Comparing some of music's best, based on their time spent at the label.

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Complex Original

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The name says it all. In 1983, when a young Rick Rubin and a pre-yoga Russell Simmons started a record company in an NYU dorm room, “Def Jam” was current street slang. Over the next 39 years, Def Jam Recordings assembled arguably the greatest roster in hip-hop history. On the label's 30th year of operation, we assess who had the best run at Def Jam.

Written by Rob Marriott (@tafari)

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35. T La Rock

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34. Frank Ocean

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Years on Def Jam: 2009-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Thinkin Bout You" (2011)

Def Jam bascially signed Frank Ocean and let him sit on the shelf. Rather than languish like oh so many artists, Ocean took matters into his own hands and dropped nostolgia/ULTRA for free on Tumblr around the same time Weeknd dropped House of Balloons and together they changed the sound of R&B. And last year, he dropped his major label debut album Channel Orange and established himself as one of the most important voices in R&B's new breed.

33. Ghostface Killah

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Years on Def Jam: 2003-2010
Signature Def Jam Song: "Back Like That" (2006)

The truest poet of the Wu brought his A game to Def Jam. His gift for off the wall metaphors and profound candor never left him as he crafted quality albums like The Pretty Tone Album and Fishscale. But it was mostly to no avail, as Ghost Deni recently told us, "My career really didn't go nowhere on Def Jam."

32. Freeway

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Years on Def Jam: 2000-2009
Signature Def Jam Song: "What We Do" (2003)

Beans brought him in and he rolled with the Roc, but Freeway was always his own man. He made a name for himself when he spit a guest verse in "1-900 Hustler" and established himself with his classic single, "What We Do." His second album played out much like Beanie's third album: Underrated and marred by the breakup of the Roc and lack of promotion.

31. Jadakiss

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Years on Def Jam: 2007-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Who's Real" (2009)

Jadakiss never mastered the art of the album, but his poetic prowess and virtuosity with punchlines more than compensate for his inability to sequence. He can drop an album today, and you know there will be well-rapped fire. His presence on the label is most certainly an asset.

30. Ne-Yo

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Years on Def Jam: 2006-2012
Signature Def Jam Song: "So Sick" (2006)

Ne-Yo's career on Def Jam hasn't just been a huge success because of his chart-topping hits and albums, he's been the go-to hook guy for the label. Jadakiss' single needs a R&B touch? Throw Ne-Yo on there! Jeezy needs something soulful for the ladies? Throw Ne-Yo on there! Have no idea how to market Ghostface's single? Throw Ne-Yo on there!

29. The-Dream

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Years on Def Jam: 2007-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "I Luv Your Girl" (2008)

A proven hitmaker, Dream has brought a new sound to Def Jam and his influence has been felt industry wide through the No. 1 hits he's written for pop stars like Rihanna and collaborations with Kanye West.

28. 3rd Bass

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Years on Def Jam: 1989-1992
Signature Def Jam Song: "The Gas Face" (1989)

3rd Bass were among the first to prove that white boys could get down lyrically. They had some jams for sure, but let's be real: They, along with the Beasties, is legends just off being pioneers in breaking the race boundaries in hip-hop.

27. Beanie Siegel

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Years on Def Jam: 2000-2007
Signature Def Jam Song: "The Truth" (2000)

Beans hit the scene as one of the first recruits of the Rocafella movement. His excellent first album hit a nerve in the streets, and the album's first single "The Truth" was one of Kanye's first major beats. He hit a bit of a sophomore slump with his next record but no matter, he got busy with Freeway and brought Philadelphia to the forefront with State Property. Eventually, the Roc broke up and Beanie's career has never been the same since. But before leaving the label that made him a star, Beans dropped his underrated third album The B. Coming.

26. Onyx

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Years on Def Jam: 1992-1998
Signature Def Jam Song: "Slam" (1993)

One of Jam Master Jay's first adventures into A&R were 'gangsters' with a great sound. Sticky Fingaz was particularly good at tapping into the punk rock elements that could be found in rap.

25. N.O.R.E.

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Years on Def Jam: 2001-2007
Signature Def Jam Song: "Nothin'" (2002)

Fresh off recording the classic The War Report, Nore launched his solo career when Capone got locked up just prior to the album's release. To his great good fortune he crossed creative paths with Pharrell and a new sound was born. He'd hook up with Skateboard P again for "Nothin'" and later score a reggaeton hit, but his career hasn't been the same since.

24. Ashanti

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Years on Def Jam: 2002-2005
Signature Def Jam Song: "Foolish" (2002)

Her reign as "princess of R&B" was short like leprechauns but she established herself as official wifee material over our favorite Biggie sample. Unfortunately, her singing career collapsed with the federal investigations into Murder inc.

23. Method Man

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Years on Def Jam: 1994-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By" (1995)

The first signee out of the Wu after they took over the rap world. His style was a combination of all the Wu flows which may account for why he was the breakout. He would later team up with his microphone soulmate Redman to make excellent records and terrible movies.

22. Foxy Brown

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Years on Def Jam: 1996-2003, 2005-2007
Signature Def Jam Song: "I'll Be" (1996)

Foxy set female flow standards and still reigns as the premiere Voice of the Gangstress now that Nicki has opted to sing over electronica.

21. The Roots

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Years on Def Jam: 2005-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "How I Got Over" (2009)

Although they started as little more than a hip-hop cover band, The Roots gradually found their feet as progenitors of the boom bap for the conscious set. When Jay-Z became Def Jam's president one of his most underappreciated moves was that be brought the Roots over to Def Jam. But as Questlove once told us, "Jay-Z said, 'Nah man, if y'all do a record, I want y'all to do a real Roots record. Don't like figure out what Jay-Z wants because then I'ma look like the bad guy that killed y'all.'" After dropping some excellent albums on Def Jam, we're happy to say The Roots are alive and well.

20. Fabolous

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Years on Def Jam: 2007-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Make Me Better" (2007)

Consistent hit maker and punchline king who bubbled quietly for the last 15 years. Fab didn't sign to Def Jam until about midway through his career, but since he's gotten there he's made the most of it. And since he's always had a knack for rapping on R&B songs, he's scored some major hits by teaming up with the label's R&B stars Jeremih (for "My Time), Ne-Yo ("Make Me Better"), and The-Dream ("Throw It In The Bag").

19. Montell Jordan

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Years on Def Jam: 1994-2002
Signature Def Jam Song: "This Is How We Do It" (1995)

Montell might mostly be remembered for one song—his absolutely classic "This Is How We Do It"—but lest we forget, he scored eight Top 40 hits, three gold albums, and a platinum plaque for his debut. And the Def Jam logo obviously meant a lot to him, his first post-Def Jam album was titled, Life After Def.

18. Scarface

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Years on Def Jam: 2002
Signature Def Jam Song: "Guess Who's Back" (2002)

The most undersung king of hip-hop. A lyrical force of nature who has defined the sound of Southern hip-hop and remains one of its finest voices. The Fix is a required reading for all those who claim hip-hop music as a passing interest.

17. Warren G

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Years on Def Jam: 1994-1997
Signature Def Jam Song: "Regulate" (1994)

Warren G was the king of soft boy G-funk for the non-gangster set. Was "Regulate" the first hit record about getting taxed? Warren was doubly blessed: He was Dre's younger brother, and his hit single featured one of hip-hop's most iconic crooner-Nate Dogg-and it dropped when Death Row was running the rap game.

16. Cam'ron

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Years on Def Jam: 2002-2004
Signature Def Jam Song: "Oh Boy" (2002)

Leader of the Dipset movement with one of the most original flows in rap history. His street wit brought Harlem back from the dead after Mase caught the Holy Ghost.

15. Ja Rule

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Years on Def Jam: 1998-2005
Signature Def Jam Song: "Always on Time" (2001)

In the early 2000s, Ja found the sweet spot between R&B and rap and recorded a string of hits under the Def Jam moniker. But his ill-fated war with Curtis Jackson and a federal investigation of his label Murder Inc. upended his career as a 2Pac manque.

14. Nas

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Years on Def Jam: 2006-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Daughters" (2012)
We ask all the stans to refrain from all the teeth gnashing about why he is not number one on this list. This list is about DEF JAM artists which means Escobar's Columbia work doesn't count. So ease back. And while his work on Def Jam has been uneven with moments of sparkling brilliance, it is on the strength of Life Is Good that Nasir finds himself in back in rap's good graces in a major way. Plus he's one of the greatest to ever touch the mic.

13. Slick Rick

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Years on Def Jam: 1988-1999
Signature Def Jam Song: "Children's Story" (1988)

The master storyteller is one of the most original and influential characters to pop into the national consciousness. His seminal work The Adventures of Slick Rick is a creative masterwork influencing greats from Nas to Snoop.

12. Young Jeezy

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Years on Def Jam: 2005-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Soul Survivor" (2005)

His slow wit and unique ad-libs created a new Southern sound with the highly influential Thug Motivation 101 keeping Def Jam relevant in the Southern era. His collaborations with hip-hop's elite producers proved that his trapboy style had legs.

11. Ludacris

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Years on Def Jam: 2000-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Stand Up" (2003)

The rhythmically precise comedian with eye-popping videos and a unique sense of style, Ludacris many talents catapulted him to Hollywood where he now sleeps on a mattress made of money.

10. EPMD

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Years on Def Jam: 1990-1999
Signature Def Jam Song: "Gold Digger" (1990)

Funky brother rap that helped establish Def Jam as hip-hop central. Sermon still holds the crown as the best speech impediment rap ever. Even after EPMD broke up, Sermon would go on to father the Def Squad movement bringing us Redman and a lot of bootstomping headbanger rap that we can't listen to now.

9. Rick Ross

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Years on Def Jam: 2006-Present

Signature Def Jam Song: "B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast)" (2006)


The Boss's studious approach to the music game were highly underrated at first. His work ethic and ear for beats are top tier. He survived the C.O. scandal and a fire fight with 50 by putting out consistent quality with the both legends and new talent on a relentless basis. And he doesn't look like he's going to stop.

8. Redman

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Years on Def Jam: 1992-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Time 4 Sum Aksion" (1992)

Rap mastery in the form of funkadelic thuggery made Redman a break out among the timbos and knit hats Eric Sermon assembled in the Def Squad. One of the highest batting average in the entire league, Redman's lyricism is still largely unexplored and underappreciated. After the Def Squad period, he linked up with Meth and continued to add to Def Jam's coffers. But to truly understand Redman's impact on the label peep the words of Erick Sermon, "Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen thanked me so much for bringing Redman in because Def Jam was going down then."

7. DMX

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Years on Def Jam: 1998-2005
Signature Def Jam Song: "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" (1998)

His legendary Def Jam run would end in flames, but for a minute DMX ruled hip-hop and Hollywood from a dog fighting pit. "Get At Me Dog" is still one of the most explosive debut singles in recent memory.

6. Rihanna

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Years on Def Jam: 2005-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Umbrella" (2007)

One of Jay-Z's best moves to date: As Def Jam president, he and L.A. Reid signed this ridiculously sexy hitmaker who through careful development has gradually turned her into an uber-starlet part Madonna, part Marilyn. Her unending string of hits for the label places her high on this list with a bullet.

5. Beastie Boys

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Years on Def Jam: 1984-1987
Signature Def Jam Song: "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" (1987)

License to Ill is the b-boy birth of all things hipster. The Beasties were about 20 years ahead of their time and still managed a successful career as the vector between punk rock and hip-hop.

4. Public Enemy

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Years on Def Jam: 1987-1998
Signature Def Jam Song: "Fight the Power" (1989)

Before Dre and the rise of L.A. gangster rap stunted their movement, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Terminator X, and the Bomb Squad defined cutting edge rap and persuaded a whole generation to admire OG Knowledge. Chuck's voice and the hype man goat Flavor Flav reserved their space in the pantheon the moment you heard that screeching on your radio and realized it wasn't broken.

3. LL Cool J

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Years on Def Jam: 1985-2008
Signature Def Jam Song: "Mama Said Knock You Out" (1990)

Hip-hop to Hollywood but is he good? Def Jam is the house that L built. Along with T La Rock, LL was the first artist on the Def Jam label with "I Need  A Beat." His subsequent recordings are a reminder of how hip-hop changed the pop music landscape forever.

2. Kanye West

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Years on Def Jam: 2003-Present
Signature Def Jam Song: "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007)

His prolific output, gothic ambition, and visionary muscle has shaped hip-hop in new and unexpected ways. With Jay moving on, Kanye is one of the main reasons Def Jam is still in the game.

1. Jay-Z

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Years on Def Jam: 1997-2007
Signature Def Jam Song: "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" (2000)

Even without his seminal classic Reasonable Doubt included, Sean Carter is the most efficient hitmaker ever on Def Jam. His Def Jam run included 9 straight platinum albums over 9 years and ended with him becoming the CEO of the company.

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