Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
The Def Jam box tells a story of a sound, a movement, and a lifestyle. Filled with a veritable who's who of hip-hop (3rd Bass, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, EPMD, Beastie Boys) and some sizzling R&B cuts, this four-CD set is both a greatest-hits package (of the Def Jam/Columbia era) and a shout out to the label that understood the culture--and, more important, knew how to make others get it, too. Perhaps the greatest praise one can give Def Jam is that the label still matters, years after this set was released (see late-1990s efforts by Method Man and Jay-Z, for example). If all your old 12-inches are worn to the groove, then this is a must; but be you old school or new, this collection should be in any hip-hop fan's collection. --Amy Linden









Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

---

Related Items:
     see more

Related Items:

• The Hip Hop Box
• Old School Rap, Vol. 1-4
• The Sugar Hill Records Story { Various Artists }
• Like, Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box (Totally)
• Old School Jams, Vol. 3
• see more

---

Disc 1:

1. I Can't Live Without My Radio - LL Cool J
2. Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy
3. Hold It Now, Hit It - Beastie Boys
4. Crossover - EPMD
5. Children's Story - Slick Rick
6. Going Back To Cali - LL Cool J
7. Paul Revere - Beastie Boys
8. I'm That Type Of Guy - LL Cool J
9. No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys
10. Bring Tha Noize - Public Enemy/Anthrax
11. The Gas Face - 3rd Bass
12. Hip Hop Junkies - Nice & Smooth
13. Welcome To The Terrordome - Public Enemy
14. Big Ole Butt - LL Cool J

Disc 2:

1. Slam - Onyx
2. The Boomin' System - LL Cool J
3. Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock Mixx) - Public Enemy
4. Mona Lisa - Slick Rick
5. Deeper - Boss
6. Tonight's Da Night - Redman
7. Headbanger - EPMD
8. Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys
9. Back Seat - LL Cool J
10. Pop Goes The Weasel - 3rd Bass
11. Sometimes I Rhyme Slow - Nice & Smooth
12. I Need Love - LL Cool J
13. I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By (Puff Daddy Mixx) - Method Man
14. The Rain - Oran 'Juice' Jones
15. Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz (Human Rhythm Remix) - Montell Jordan

Disc 3:

1. Fight The Power - Public Enemy
2. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) - Beastie Boys
3. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
4. Blow Your Mind - Redman
5. I'm Bad - LL Cool J
6. Throw Ya Gunz - Onyx
7. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos - Public Enemy
8. Hey Young World - Slick Rick
9. Public Enemy No. 1 - Public Enemy
10. Gold Digger - EPMD
11. Daddy's Little Girl - Nikki D
12. Around The Way Girl - LL Cool J
13. Teenage Love - Slick Rick
14. Steppin' To The A.M. - 3rd Bass
15. How High (Remix) - Redman/Method Man
16. I Got Him All The Time (He's Mine Remix-Grand Puba Version) - MoKenStef

Disc 4:

1. Don't Believe The Hype - Public Enemy
2. Rock The Bells - LL Cool J
3. Regulate - Warren G
4. Can't Truss It - Public Enemy
5. Stay Real - Erick Sermon
6. Night Of The Living Baseheads - Public Enemy
7. Method Man (Remix) - Method Man
8. Jack The Ripper - LL Cool J
9. Gang Stories - South Central Cartel
10. Getto Jam - Domino
11. Jingling Baby (Remixed But Still Jingling) - LL Cool J
12. Sweet Potatoe Pie - Domino
13. Bring The Pain - Method Man
14. Give It Up - Public Enemy
15. This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan

Rating: - "Eat Cool J cookies"
I bought this compilation because I was looking for L.L.'s greatest hits and stumbled on this collection. It's all THAT and then some!!!!! I absolutely screamed when I saw Oran Juice Jones! We sung that to school everyone morning and threw back phrases from the song to the brothers that were whack! When I play it, my daughter just looks at me and shakes her head.

This generation don't know that "hip-hop" is a state of mind and it is not defined by "bling" or brand names. We were just into the music. (even though I did have some big square earrings M.C. Lyte was rocking in the "Paperthin" video!)

This is indeed a classic for ANY hip-hop fan!

---

Rating: - A mish mash of rap
Wow. For 60$ this is one big, hit or miss collection. For every `Rebel Without A Pause' there's a `I Need Love'. For every `Jack the Ripper' there's a 'The Rain'. With the same money you could get the original `Bum rush the Show' `Nations of Millions' `Strictly Business' `Bigger and Deffer' `Cactus Album' and `Pauls Boutique' CDs. Look elsewhere for your Hip Hop hits.

---

Rating: - The DEF-initive Collection
This is without a doubt the greatest rap / hip hop / r&b compilation on the market. I highly doubt another label can or will release anything that can come close to this. High octane party music that can go to any party! This collection is smokin' from start to finish. There's no bad song in here anywhere. Every song rocks the house with such substance that this could easily accompany a club DJ and you'd hear the 'whoop-whoops' and the 'oh yeahs' from the crowd. These sings still hold their own and if you get a chance to read the booklet that comes with it, you'd be surprised at how much info is in it. Definitely 10 stars in my opinion!

---

Rating: - Wow, I can't believe there isn't a review here.
This is an awesome box set. It does a great job of summing up Def Jam's first decade. This is all essential hip-hop. It comes from the days when it was less about the pose and more about the skills.
There are many forgotten gems to be found here. Onyx - truly a group of crazy gravel-throated mofos. 3rd Bass - forgotten pioneers in the realm of white hip-hop (I know Eminem has never mentioned them). Many of the greatest tracks by LL, the Beasties, PE, and Run-DMC are here. I think to really get Public Enemy though, you have to buy the invidual albums.
Another great thing- if you already own "The Hip-Hop Box", there are only a handful of tracks on this that overlap with that. Added bonus in my opinion.
So if you want to learn about the early DIY spirit of Def Jam and see thier astronomical influence on early hip-hop, I strongly recommend picking this one up.

---

Rating: - Pure Classics
This is the type of compilation albulm that has to be in your collection. Here is why.

1.) You got classics that are now hard enough to find, let alone on seperate cd's.

2.) When is the last time a cd came with a booklet that was just as interesting. This is great for understanding where hip hop/r&b came from (as far Def Jam) and where most music is at today.

3.) No cd of the four outshines another one. With such good songs and so many of them, it's hard to decide which cd you want to play.

They should think about doing for 1995 to 2005. They have a wider selection of artist to choose from. Though they all may not be classics like these, they are guaranteed to please the hip-hop/r&b lover in all of us.