Times flies when people are having fun and making money at it. But, just witnessing the rise of Russell Simmons and Def Jam was a fun experience. It had to be fun, as it’s been thirty years since the label was founded and it surely doesn’t feel like that much time has passed.
In the early 2000s, Russell Simmons ended his business work with Def Jam, but he will forever be tied to the label. The years since Russell Simmons left Def Jam have been met with mixed reactions from critics. LL Cool J, the first artist signed, angrily left Def Jam in 2008, meanwhile many newer talents have since joined.
Russell Simmons focused on the positive aspects of Def Jam’s thirty years when he visited Arsenio Hall at “The Arsenio Hall Show.” Having a strong hip hop conversation, Russell Simmons disagreed with what Kid Cudi had to say about the genre. After all, hip hop is a debatable topic that can go on forever.
