No, the label isn’t going the way of the dodo, but El-Producto is essentially stepping down from his position. Check out what he has to say about the whole matter down bottom.
Dear Inter-web, fans, friends and JUX family,
People keep asking me what’s up with JUX. There’s been some talk, there have been some rumors. Some half true, some way off. Reports of our demise have been mildly exaggerated. Here’s what it really all boils down to:
This year, a decade after starting DEF JUX and after overseeing the releases of some incredible albums including the forthcoming release of my dear late and great friend Camu Tao’s brilliant “KING OF HEARTS” LP, I’m stepping away from my duties as artistic director for the label to concentrate on what I love most: being a producer and an artist full time. This is something I’ve been contemplating for a few years now, and can’t think of a better time or, with the eventual release of Camu’s record, a more poetic way to transition into a new direction.
This means change for JUX. Of course we’ll still have our website, we will still sell our catalog, merch and more as well as bring you news and updates on all our projects and artists. We will be releasing “KING OF HEARTS”, a DEF JUX remix compilation, a 10 year anniversary retrospective and some other goodies. But then as a traditional record label DEF JUX will effectively be put on hiatus. We are not closing, but we are changing. The process is already underway, and the last several months (for those wondering what the hell we’ve been up to) have been spent dealing with the technical aspects of wrapping up the label in it’s current form and re-imagining our collective and individual futures.
In 2000 starting a traditional record label made a lot of sense. But now, in 2010, less so and I find myself yearning for something else to put my energy into. I also see newer, smarter, more interesting things on the horizon for the way art and commerce intersect, and as an artist and an entrepreneur, I’m eager to see them unfold. The evolution of this industry is, in my opinion, exciting, inevitable and it would be nice to see the DEFINITIVE JUX brand be a part of it. In other words, maybe we can turn this hoopty in to a hovercraft.
All business aside, and regardless of what form JUX may inevitably take, my focus for the immediate future is going to be back-to-basics. The fun stuff: sitting in the studio and immersing myself in music, performing it for for my fans when the time comes and whatever (or wherever) else might be out there creatively for me. Thats how it all started and that’s how the next phase will begin. The days of me dedicating the majority of my time and energy into providing JUX with a constant stream of physical releases from multiple artists are on hold for the time being. My heart (and what little common sense I possess) is telling me to simplify my focus and it has always been my policy to listen to my heart.
Truly, DEF JUX has been amazing to be a part of. So many good people. So much fun. I feel very lucky to be friends and collaborators with people who have affected and continue to affect my life and work deeply and indelibly. Working with the likes of Amaechi Uzoigwe, Jesse Ferguson, Jason Drake, and Katy Eustis at JUX as well as allies like Kathryn Frazier (biz3), Michael Bull and Lisa Socransky-Austin (to name only a few) has been incredible. These are people who worked for generally meager wages because they loved what they did and they believed in the artists and the idea of DEF JUX. Anyone would be lucky to have worked with even one person as dedicated and passionate as all of them are. They are true champions of indie music and they (and too many others to mention here) have my gratitude and loyalty forever.
None of it would have existed, though, if not for the artists. Artists who rolled the dice on us the same way we did on them, and were there with us as we battled it all out. CAMU, MR LIF, AESOP ROCK, MURS, CAGE, ROB SONIC, HANGAR 18, CHIN CHIN, CANNIBAL OX, THE PERCEPTIONISTS, RJD2, DESPOT, SA SMASH, YAK BALLZ, CRAYZ, THE MIGHTY UNDERDOGS, DIZZEE RASCAL, DEL, P.F.A.C, ACTIVATOR, COOL CALM PETE … the list goes on. I consider them all geniuses at what they do. Every victory that they have had and will have will always feel like a victory for myself and all of us at JUX. It’s been a joy to create and even struggle with them all. It has not always been easy, but it’s almost always been fulfilling. I only hope the work we put in together helped build a path to their collective futures. They have my sincerest well wishes and genuine respect.
Lastly and most importantly are the fans… holy shit THE FANS! Our fans are no joke. I can’t tell you how humbled I am to have felt the love and respect that they have shown us all. Even when we did things they didn’t like, they stuck around. This was their label as much as ours. We answered to them, and yet they respected that we did what we loved, nothing more and nothing less. We always will. You are why we do any of this, and I’ll never be able to express how much your support means to all of us. I think I speak for all of us Jukies when I say I love making music for you and can’t wait to make more.
Until then, on behalf of everyone here at JUX and from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
EL-P
Founder/Artistic Director/Recording Artist
DEFINITIVE JUX
we def got some def music from DEF JUX
Thank you Jukies for making some of the greatest hip hop music ever recorded.
Y’all have helped me, and many heads, to think and live righteously.
My gratitudes to you dudes!
agreed Mr. Andre
thanks to def jux for all of the real music. hopefully the label doesn’t disperse and will continue to make more
i’ll be waiting to see what direction def jux goes, and what crazy shit el churns out. the man’s a genius
Agreed – Def Jux came with that real music.
Fav album – The Cold Vein – Cannibal Ox
bless DEF JUX and best of luck to El-P and everyone else. Aesop, Cannibal Ox, Cage, Cool Calm Pete, RJD2, they produced some real hip hop for the people.
aesop rock ft. el-p – we’re famous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1jTk4LBKXo
the cold vein is one of the top 10 hip hop albums ever released. real talk bitches.
I think this is a good move because nothing decent has come out of def jux for a while now.
Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
wtf happened to Danny! signing with def jux? that looked like one of the best moves they ever made and nothing has come of it
and my favorite def jux album of all time would have to be I Phantom – Mr. Lif…hard to choose but that shit was on another level imo
yep def fave album they gave us Cannibal Ox-Cold Vein. So Slept On.
this label hasn’t released anything good in at least 5 years. last dope album they dropped was the murs & 9th wonder record. the best move they’ve made since was signing Danny!. but it seems like def jux aint even fuckin with him.
I’ll sleep when you’re dead was a fucking masterpiece. Only album from the last 3 years I can play front to back without skipping a track.
yea that can ox record and aesops labor days were staples in my everyDAY…i havent listened to much lately…seen them tear down a few stages…good luck!
All of EL-P’s albums have been nothing short of AMAZING… and of course AES ROCK… a personal fav since 99 & earlier.
While this sucks that Def Jux is changing directions, maybe some of the guys (i.e. MURS, Aesop Rock…) will come on over and sign with Rhymesayers? I mean they’ve already worked on RSE projects in recent times, so it could make sense timing wise…just a thought
Best DEFJUX album was the Cold Vien…its still a million years ahezd of its time…Thank you DEFJUX.
Cypher Unknown.
real hiphop is almost dead…el-p knows what’s good music and he knows those past 4 years for the juxcrew was not really what real hiphop fans want… except some album…so he close the door!the problem i think is when they came out in 2000 they change the game and now…they try to follow a lil bit…just look at this crap of yakballz he do some shitty disco… now we stilll a million years of the freakshow & method of madness… his aint my favorite mc but…putting out some crap like he does the past year burns a label and i forgot the DANNY THING WTF…com on el-p we want CAN OX shit BACK…CO FLOW…DAYLIGHT…3:16…THE HORROR…and I WILL NEVER FORGET THE ONE AND ONLY FAN-DAM!!!!!!
Good riddance. They single handedly fucked up the underground with their pretentious bullshit.
Good riddance. They single handedly fucked up the underground with their pretentious bullshit.??? Listening to Company Flow is not a casual experience. “We always drew people down the middle,” El-P remarked in an interview with Pitchfork earlier this year. “There were never people who were like ‘Eh, it’s all right.’ It was either ‘I wanna find those guys and beat them senseless because their crazy noise is hurting me’ or ‘This is fucking incredible.’” But despite their divisive reputation, Company Flow had an important role as one of the last crucial bridges between the East Coast hardcore battle rap of the 1990s and the deep-end abstraction that was to follow in the transition from underground hip-hop to “indie rap”. It’s the kind of rap that was out-there enough to be aggressively polarizing, yet true enough to the game that no less a classicist than ——–DJ Premier co-signed it.———-shut up you dumb ass who dont know what el-p & def jux as done!
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Farewell Def Jux: 1999-2010 (Mixtape) | 2dopeboyz said this on February 5th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
I’m still mad we’ve only got one Cool Calm Pete LP.