Moore, who was white and 37-years-old, "wrote the first half of the song, the Christmas part" and Blow wrote "the party part, the second half of the song. Moore III, who were interested in what, at the time, was called "the breakbeat phenomenon" in the Bronx.Īccording to Kurtis Blow, J.B.
The idea for "Christmas Rappin'" came from two writers at Billboard, Robert Ford and J.B. "Christmas Rappin'" was the first hip-hop record released by a major label, Mercury Records, in 1979. In turn, Simmons went to see Hose perform, entered into a management agreement with T La Rock and DJ Jazzy Jay, and even went to see Rubin DJ for three very young, white MCs who called themselves The Beastie Boys. I used to take him to Disco Fever in the South Bronx.
We'd be at the studio every night if it wasn't the studio, we were in Danceteria. Simmons recalled, "We did everything together. They began to explore the possibility of working together and began to share their ideas with one another. Simmons told Rubin, "I can't believe you made that record and you're white, 'cause that's the blackest hip-hop record that's ever been!"Īlthough Simmons was five years older than Rubin and already an established promoter and manager, they quickly found that they were kindred spirits who saw enormous potential in hip-hop and shared a common belief in the direction hip-hop should take in the 1980s. Simmons was equally surprised to find out that a white, Jewish, barely 20-year-old undergraduate who made records out of his dorm room was the producer of "It's Yours." so I was excited to meet him.Īnd when I met Russell, it turns out that "It's Yours" was his favorite record, which was a surprise to me." It was at the premier party for Graffiti Rock that Rick Rubin first met Russell Simmons.Īccording to Rubin, "I remember being really excited when I met him because, as a fan of hip-hop, he had already, you know, his name on a lot of the rap records that already came out - Kurtis Blow, RUN-D.M.C. He's a great producer and I thought, 'We can do a lot together.'" "It was the sound of the records that inspired me to be his partner. Shortly after the release of "It's Yours," Rick Rubin was introduced to Russell Simmons. The third is the rap track recorded by T La Rock. The second is the backing track created by Rick Rubin and DJ Jazzy Jay. The first track, "It's Yours (Radio Mix)," is the original mix released in 1984. It is usually cited as the record that gave birth to what would become known as "New School" hip-hop. "It's Yours" was initially released in 1984 as a 12" single and was terribly influential. The crowd responses were made in the studio by friends of Rick Rubin and T La Rock including Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys. The backing track was created by Rick Rubin with DJ Jazzy Jay (John Byas). The rhymes for "It's Yours" were written by T La Rock (Clarence Keaton) and his younger brother, Kevin "Special K" of the Treacherous Three. The record was produced by Rick Rubin and recorded at Power Play Studios in Queens. "It's Yours" was the first release to carry the Def Jam logo, although it was released through Arthur Baker's Partytime Records and the master recording is legally held by Partytime Records. although at that time, Def Jam Recordings consisted only of Rick Rubin, his dorm room, and the logo that Rubin had designed himself.
"It's Yours" was released on Arthur Baker's Partytime Records with the Def Jam Recordings logo on the label. The demo of "It's Yours" was made in Jazzy Jay's living room and the release track later recorded at an obscure studio in Queens. In 1984, Def Jam introduced a new kind of music and lifestyle – hip-hop – through aspiring record producer and punk-rocker Rick Rubin and party promoter/artist manager Russell Simmons.” An official release is slated for September 2011 through book publisher Rizzoli.In 1983, Rubin and Jazzy Jay produced "It's Yours" featuring rapper T La Rock. Def Jam celebrates a label that defined hip-hop and whose impact extends beyond its incredible roster of recording artists to all areas of culture – fashion, lifestyle, cinema, art – impacting the music business and pop culture forever. This is the story of Def Jam in the words of its artists and top executives, taken from interviews and seamlessly told as a narrative of no-holds-barred recollections and anecdotes, made even more compelling by the fact that Def Jam is one of the last great record labels to enjoy the widespread cultural influence that it does, in light of the increasing digitization of music. “ Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label is a celebration of the first 25 years of the label that defined hip-hop music and culture.