Def Jam 25th Anniversary Celebration Rocks 2009!

5 years later, the independent spirit of adventure that began in an NYU college dorm room is still the guiding principle of Def Jam Recordings, home of the greatest names in the history of hip-hop, rap and R&B – from LL Cool J and Slick Rick to Rihanna and Kanye West, from Public Enemy and 3rd Bass to Ludacris, Redman and Rick Ross, from Jay-Z to Young Jeezy, Ne-Yo, the Roots, and dozens more.

Def Jam’s 25th anniversary celebration year moves into high gear next week with the October 6th release of DEF JAM 25 ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION. The deluxe 5-CD crate that traces the label’s history over the course of 60 tracks on five chronological discs – from the opening track of CD One, LL Cool J’s “I Need a Beat” (the first record with a Def Jam catalog number, in 1984) to the final track of CD Five, Young Jeezy’s #1 single of 2008, “Put On.” (Please see complete track listings below.)

One week later on October 13th, the 6th annual “VH1 Hip Hop Honors” show will commemorate Def Jam’s 25th anniversary, as artists from every genre join the celebration. Those scheduled to attend (as of this writing) include: Mary J. Blige, DMX, Eminem, Fabolous, Jimmy Fallon, Warren G, Gym Class Heroes, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Method Man, ONYX, Public Enemy, Brett Ratner, Redman, Chris Rock, Kid Rock, the Roots, Rick Ross, Scarface, and Trey Songz.

Presenters and performers will honor Def Jam’s history and legacy through never-seen-before interviews, archival footage and special musical performances of some of Def Jam’s greatest hits. Hosted by 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan for the third consecutive year, “VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2009” will be videotaped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York. The broadcast will premiere Tuesday, October 13th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The DEF JAM 25 ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION marks the first major multi-CD box set devoted to the label in a decade and a half, since the 1995 release of Def Jam Music Group Inc.: 10th Year Anniversary, a 4-CD non-chronological collection that concentrated on the company’s ’80s output. The new package contains a 59-page full-color book that features an historic 8,000-word liner notes essay and in-depth track-by-track annotations written by Bill Adler, who served as Publicity Director for Rush Artist Management/Def Jam Recordings from 1984 to 1990, and is the author of the best-selling Tougher Than Leather (1987, reissued 2002), the definitive biography of Run-DMC.

Click here to pre-order the Def Jam 25th Anniversary Box Set on Amazon.com now!