The Entrepreneurs of Early Hip-Hop: Sugar Hill & Def Jam

This week author Dan Charnas joins Nate for a discussion of his book “The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip Hop.” In this episode, Dan and Nate talk about two of the legendary record companies from Hip Hop’s early years: Sugarhill Records and Def Jam. They discuss Sylvia and Joe Robinson’s background in the world of old school R&B and how those practices carried over into the 1980s. They also dive deep into the unlikely partnership between Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin and the glory days of Def Jam.

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