Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label is a colossal read, with its oversize width reminiscent of a vinyl sleeve. But the inside isn't daunting; in fact, it's alluring, with photography steeped in the record company's storied first years, alongside words from some of hip-hop's historic moguls, such as Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin and Kevin Liles. With a relentless attention to aesthetic, Def Jam pays homage to both its past as a corporation and the past of the genre that it helped build.

Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label is scheduled to be released on Oct. 11.

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