Def Jam 30 tease

BELIEVE THE HYPE: Maybe there’s something in the water in Greenwich Village. A quarter century after becoming the center of the folk movement, a seminal moment in rap history occurred under the shadow of the Washington Square arch when NYU student Rick Rubin started the DIY label Def Jam Recordings in his dorm room, hooking up with Run-D.M.C. manager Russell Simmons soon thereafter. During the succeeding three decades, no label has been more vital or impactful in terms of the evolution of hip-hop. That remains the case today, with Def Jam once again a standalone label and Steve Bartels, who’s been in the house for 10 years, running the show. Bartels and Def Jam are throwing a 30th anniversary bash this Thursday night in the proud borough of Brooklyn, and we’re starting the countdown right now. you’ll find the salient deets here. (10/13a)