DEF JAM CELEBRATES 35 YEARS

Def Jam Recordings, one of the most iconic labels in hip-hop history, officially launched its celebration of 35 years of shaking the culture Sunday night with the star-studded Def Jam 35 Night Market bash in Brooklyn.

As VIPs and Def Jam artists past and present—2 Chainz, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Teyana Taylor, TJ Porter, Fetty Luciano, Slick Rick, Suzi Wu, Def Jam CEO Paul Rosenberg, Joseline Hernandez, and DJ Premier—mingled, an all-female DJ lineup led by DJ Jazzy Joyce, Nyla Symone and Odalys kept the party rocking. A pop-up from Scarr’s Pizza fed the masses, Courvoisier and Heineken kept the vibes going and VIPs enjoyed special activations—a Puma basketball court and a Snipes bodega hosted by special guests Stretch and Bobbito offering limited-edition T-Shirts and the Puma x Def Jam Clyde Court. A surprise performance from Fabolous and Jadakiss closed out the evening’s festivities.

(Left: Teyana Taylor; Center: 2 Chainz & Paul Rosenberg; Right: Jadakiss & Fabolous)

The Brooklyn Night Market event was the latest salvo in an ongoing Def Jam 35 celebration that includes the co-curated Hip-Hop Classics: Def Jam playlist via Spotify, the newly launched Def Jam: Essentials playlist via Apple Music, the revival of the original signature Def Jam varsity jacket and capsule collection via streetwear giant KITH, the forthcoming Tony Touch mixtape documentary feature From Scratch, an experiential activation at ComplexCon Long Beach and much more.