1. Def Jam
Def Jam started as a rock label back when Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons created the label at New York University. But with the guidance of Simmons, the label eventually became the biggest rap label in history. Simmons had an ear for the streets and knew how to market hip-hop to mainstream audiences. LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Slick Rick ad EPMD all laid the foundation for the label in the 1980s. But with the success of West Coast gangsta rap, Def Jam’s album sales suffered in the early-90s. Jay-Z and DMX helped to bring the label back by the mid-90s. But Simmons began thinking of new ways to be successful in business and sold his interest in Def Jam to MCA for $100 million in 1998. The company continues to have a leading presence in music.
