I can think of no one more relevant and credible in the hip-hop community to build upon Def Jam's fantastic legacy and move the company into its next groundbreaking era.
Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella were two equal entities under the Def Island umbrellas.
My middle school years were defined by memorizing every single word off 'License to Ill' and 'Paul's Boutique.'
Rick Rubin is interesting. He doesn't wear shoes, I think? No wait, he wears shoes.
I grew up on listening to, like, Mantronix and BDP and EPMD and Kool G Rap and Ultramag and Public Enemy and Fat Boys and Run DMC and a lot of those early records, those Rubin-era records. Those were always snare- and stab-heavy records.
Krush Groove was a movie at the time. That was my first break. I just got to New York. I was right out of college and I was happy to have a job.
Yauch was a gifted MC.
I've always been an outsider. When I did magic, I was the only kid. When I worked with Johnny Cash, I was completely out of place in Nashville. And when I started Def Jam, I was the only white guy in the hip-hop world.
