Video: Russell Simmons & Rick Rubin on the birth of Def Jam

On this VERY SPECIAL EPISODE of Noisey’s ‘Back & Forth’ interview series, Zen masters Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin discuss the early days of Def Jam, which is celebrating it’s 30th Anniversary this year. In this clip, they talk about trying to capture the vibe of the clubs on early Rap records, the conception of LL Cool J’s “Radio” single and how he might be the only person who ever ghostwrote for RUN D.M.C.