The Island Def Jam Music Group facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids The Island Def Jam Music Group

Parent company	Universal Music Group
Founded	1998; 27 years ago (1998)
Founder	PolyGram Seagram
Defunct	2014; 11 years ago (2014)
Status	Defunct
Distributor(s)	Self-Distributed (United States) Mercury/Virgin EMI (UK) Universal Music Group (International) Universal Music France (France)
Genre	Various
Country of origin	United States
Location	New York City

The Island Def Jam Music Group (often called IDJMG) was a music company in the United States. It was started on New Year's Eve in 1998 by Universal Music Group. IDJMG brought together many record labels, especially Island Records and Def Jam Recordings. On April 1, 2014, Universal Music Group announced that Island Def Jam Music Group would close. This made IDJMG and its labels separate companies again.

How Island Def Jam Music Group Started
Awards and Achievements
Labels That Were Part of IDJMG
Famous Artists Before the Company Closed
See also

How Island Def Jam Music Group Started

A New Music Company Forms in 1999

On December 10, 1998, a company called The Seagram Company bought PolyGram. This was a big deal that took seven months to complete. Seagram then combined PolyGram's music labels with MCA Music. All these companies came together to form what we now know as Universal Music Group.

Right after Universal Music Group was created, just in time for New Year's Day 1999, the Island Def Jam Music Group was born. This new music company was made by combining more than 14 record labels. These included famous names like Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, and Mercury Records. Even though IDJMG brought these labels together, they still worked on their own. Lyor Cohen became the first president of this new group.

The Island Def Jam Music Group was one of four new music groups created by Universal Music. The others were the Universal Motown Republic Group, Verve Label Group, and Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

In the United Kingdom, Island Records managed its own business. A new company called Def Jam UK was created and worked with Mercury. Mercury also helped distribute artists in the UK.

Early Success: 1999-2001

The first music released by IDJMG was Biohazard's album New World Disorder. It came out on June 8, 1999, through Mercury Records. Around this time, many labels that were part of Def Jam, like Def Soul, Roc-A-Fella, and Murder Inc. Records, joined Island Def Jam.

For Island Records, some of its smaller parts, like 4th & B'way Records and Island Black Music, were either sold or joined IDJMG. Many of their artists, especially hip hop and R&B singers, moved to Def Jam. Mercury Records' artists were moved to other labels like Motown, Def Jam (for urban music), or Island (for pop, rock, and other types of music). Some Mercury artists chose to stay with the label.

In 2000, the company started Def Jam Germany, which was the first international Def Jam label. The next year, a country music label called Lost Highway Records was formed. This label was part of Mercury Records at first. Later, it moved to Universal Music's Nashville division. In 2001, Island Def Jam bought a large part of the rock label, Roadrunner Records.

Around the year 2000, Island Def Jam had many popular songs on the radio. They also sold millions of albums from artists like LL Cool J, Method Man, Redman, DMX, N.O.R.E. (from Def Jam), Melissa Etheridge, Bon Jovi, and Lionel Richie (from Island).

Changes and New Leaders: 2002-2009

In 2002, Island Def Jam signed Mariah Carey. She released Charmbracelet in November, but it wasn't a big hit. In July 2002, Island Def Jam released a compilation album from Murder Inc. Records. This album did very well, reaching the top 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2003, artists like Fefe Dobson, Everlast, and Patti LaBelle joined the company. In May 2004, L.A. Reid became the new president and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group. This happened after he left another record company. Lyor Cohen, the previous president, left to join another music group.

In December, Island Def Jam bought the rest of Roc-A-Fella Records. Because of this, Jay-Z, one of Roc-A-Fella's founders, became the president of Def Jam Recordings. In 2005, the company made a new deal with Ludacris's label, Disturbing tha Peace. This made IDJMG a part-owner of that label.

In April 2005, Mariah Carey returned with her album The Emancipation of Mimi. This album was a huge success, selling many copies in its first week. It was a big improvement from her last album. That same year, Island Def Jam signed a new singer from Barbados named Rihanna. Her first song, "Pon de Replay", became an instant hit.

In 2006, IDJMG ended its partnership with Roadrunner Records. They sold the label to Warner Music. In 2007, Steve Bartels became chairman and COO of Island Def Jam. On December 22, 2007, Jay-Z announced he was leaving his role as president of Def Jam. L.A. Reid took over his duties.

Around 2009, IDJMG became even more successful with Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. His song, "One Time", was a big commercial success.

Motown and GOOD Music Join: 2010-2011

In 2010, Island Def Jam continued to have great success with Justin Bieber's "Baby", Kanye West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)".

In 2011, Barry Weiss became the new chairman of the Universal Motown Republic Group. He also became the CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group. Under his leadership, Motown Records became a part of the Island Def Jam Music Group. This happened after the Universal Motown Republic Group was closed.

Kanye West's music company, GOOD Music, made a 10-year deal with IDJMG. GOOD Music handled the marketing, while Def Jam took care of making and distributing their music. The first album released under this new partnership was Big Sean's first album, Finally Famous. In May, Def Soul Records became part of Island Def Jam. This was part of a plan to better organize Island Def Jam's different music styles.

In August, a song album by Jay-Z and Kanye West called Watch the Throne was released. It was distributed by Island Def Jam. This album sold many copies in its first week. It had the highest first-week sales for a hip hop album in 2011. It was also the highest for IDJ since Mariah Carey's 2005 album.

Final Big Hits: 2013

In 2013, artists like Fall Out Boy, Iggy Azalea, and Neon Trees brought more success to the company. Fall Out Boy's album Save Rock and Roll sold many copies and was number one on the Billboard charts. Iggy Azalea's song, "Change Your Life", became very popular. Neon Trees' song, "... a Friend", also did well on the Adult Top 40 chart.

Island Def Jam's work in the United Kingdom also changed that year. Mercury UK became part of a new company called Virgin EMI Records. This meant that Def Jam UK also closed. All artists from Island, Def Jam, Republic, Virgin, and Motown were then distributed by the new Virgin EMI Records. This happened after Universal Music bought part of EMI a year earlier.

The Company Closes: 2014

On April 1, 2014, Lucian Grainge, the head of the Universal Music Group, announced that the Island Def Jam Music Group would close. The company stopped existing after CEO Barry Weiss left. Grainge explained that he believed each label (Def Jam, Island, Motown) would be stronger on its own. He wanted them to be more creative and focused.

After Island Def Jam closed, Def Jam Recordings and Island Records became their own separate labels under Universal Music. Motown Records now works under the Capitol Music Group. Mercury Records joined Island after the closure. However, it was restarted in 2022 by Universal Music and later moved to Republic Records.

Steve Bartels became the CEO of Def Jam until 2018. David Massey stayed president and CEO of Island until 2018. Ethiopia Habtemariam was named president of Motown. Even though the main company closed, there is still a Facebook and Instagram account called Island Def Jam France. This company promotes music from both labels in France.

Awards and Achievements

In 2012, a music service called Mediabase looked at how much music was played on the radio. They found that IDJMG was the number-one rhythmic label. This means they had seven number-one songs played on rhythmic radio stations. These songs were from artists like Rihanna, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, and Justin Bieber.

Labels That Were Part of IDJMG

Island Records Labels

4th & B'way Records
Casablanca Records (before 2000 and Chocolate City Records old music)
Monarc Entertainment
Photo Finish Records (now part of UMG's Virgin Music Label & Artist Services)
Tuff Gong

Def Jam Recordings Labels

Disturbing tha Peace

Mercury Records Labels

EmArcy Records
Limelight Records (music now controlled by Verve Records)
Total Experience Records (music from 1982-83)

Motown Records Labels

Motown Gospel

Other Labels and Groups

Artium Records

Labels That Are No Longer Part of IDJMG or Closed

American Recordings (now part of UMG sister label Republic Records)
Chemistry Records
Def Con II
Def Jamaica
Def Jam Japan
Def Jam UK
Def Jam South
Def Soul
- Def Soul Classics
Capricorn Records (second version)
GOOD Music
Intrepid Records
Island Black Music
Island Urban Music
Lost Highway Records (now part of the Universal Music Group Nashville division)
Margaritaville Records
Mercury Classics (renamed Mercury KX in 2016)
Mercury International (UK and Australia operations closed; Mercury France and Tokyo still active)
Mercury Nashville (now part of the Universal Music Group Nashville division)
Murder Inc. Records
Radio Killa Records
Roadrunner Records (now part of Warner Music's Elektra Music Group)
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-La-Familia
The Rocket Record Company
Rush Associated Labels
Russell Simmons Music Group
Smash Records
So So Def Recordings (distribution deal)
Tag Records (partnership with TAG Body Spray)
Teen Island
Vertigo Records (now part of the Mercury Records group under Republic Records)
Wing Records