An American rap/hip-hop (which are two different kinds of music) record label. Started in the early 1980's by Rick Rubin and Russel Simmons in New York. The Beastie Boys first LP, Licenced to Ill, was produced by Rubin and picked up by Def Jam. Def Jam continues to be a influential record label today, with rappers such as DMX, Jay-Z, Funkmaster Flex, Def Squad, DJ Clue, Method Man, Erick Sermon, and LL Cool J.