It’s crazy to think that it has already been fifteen years since the release of “Pon De Replay.” The track was insanely popular, boosting Rihanna to a status that she would remain at for years to come. These days, the pop star is focused less on releasing new music (although she is promising a ninth studio album sometime soon) as she flocks to her alternate businesses. With Savage X Fenty, Fenty Beauty, and Fenty for LVMH, Rihanna is nearing billionaire status and, having been surrounded by Jay-Z for her entire career, she likely soaked in his wisdom like a sponge.

On the fifteenth anniversary of “Pon De Replay,” Rihanna looked back to her initial audition with Jay-Z at Def Jam, thanking all of her fans for sticking with her along the way.

“#15YearsOfRihanna. Thank you for all the love on this hashtag today,” wrote Rihanna on Instagram. “Man this is trippy. Feels like just yesterday I was shaking in the hallways of Def Jam waiting to audition for Jay. 

Pon De Replay is where it all began…. 15 years later and I’m here because God led me to you, and you guys have held me up, supported me, tolerated me, loved me, kept it too real with me, and we gon always be connected because of that! I love you Navy, and I cherish you. I’m so grateful to be gifted you as my fans and family. G4L!”

Rihanna has come a long way since her debut. Re-visit “Pon De Replay” above.

By now, you’ve heard of On The Record, the earthshattering documentary detailing allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct against Russell Simmons. As the months have progressed and more information about the controversial film has been revealed, Simmons has continued to categorically deny the allegations before him. While his name has been paraded in headlines in his attachment to One The Record, there hasn’t been as much recognition placed on another music industry great who stands accused of sexual misconduct as well: L.A. Reid.

Michael Loccisano / Staff / Getty Images

On The Record‘s main person of interest is Drew Dixon, a former music industry executive who worked with hip hop legends in her heyday. The film follows her career as she worked from the bottom to becoming the Director of A&R at Def Jam, but after she alleged Russell Simmons raped her, she soon left the label. In the film, Dixon says she took some time to find herself after feeling destroyed from the alleged attack, then she met Clive Davis and got a job over at Arista Records as the Senior Director of A&R.

She thrived there, even helping to build hits with Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston, but during her tenure, Clive stepped down and L.A. Reid took his place. What followed, according to Dixon, were behaviors that she says mirrored much of the sexual harassment she endured at Def Jam. She claims that after she rejected Reid’s advances, notably refusing to meet up with him at the swanky Four Seasons hotel, he became cruel and unwilling to even consider artists that she knew were hitmakers. Two of those talents were allegedly Kanye West and John Legend.

“I auditioned Kanye West, and not only did he pass on Kanye, L.A. Reid dressed me down in front of the entire A&R department,” Drew Dixon recalled in the film. She went on to say that for 45 minutes Reid embarrassed her in front of her colleagues and called her Kanye pitch a “waste of [his] time.” In the end, Dixon asked Reid if she could go out into the hallway and give Ye the bad news.

Scott Gries / Staff / Getty Images

“I remember, I brought Kanye into my office, he had tears in his eyes,” she said. “I said, let me tell you something. You’re gonna get a deal. You’re gonna win Grammys. You’re gonna look back on this. You’re gonna laugh. Promise you.” The last artist she attempted to get Reid to sign before ultimately quitting the industry altogether was John Legend. Like Kanye, Reid allegedly passed on the EGOT crooner because of what Dixon describes as his spite for her. They reportedly rented a private concert space for Legend to practice in hopes of delivering his best performance pitch to the high-powered music executive, but at the last minute, Dixon says Reid told her he “didn’t want to go, and he told the senior staff not to go. He passed on him.”

Both Simmons and Reid have denied any accusations of sexual misconduct. On The Record debuts on HBO Max on May 27.

It's with extremely heavy hearts that we report the passing of Andre Harrell. While his cause of death is unclear, the news has just circulated that the 59-year-old passed away—news that was delivered by DJ D-Nice as he was performing one of his popular Instagram Live Club Quarantine sessions. There hasn't yet been an official statement released from Harrell's camp.

Jemal Countess / Staff / Getty Images

His name may be unfamiliar to some, but the impact that Andre Harrell had on the music industry is insurmountable. He was responsible for signing Sean "Puffy" Combs to his very first record deal and was the founder of Uptown Records, a label that held artists like Al B. Sure!, Christopher Williams, Biggie, Jodeci, Guy, Heavy D. & The Boyz, Father MC, Mary J. Blige, Soul 4 Real, and many others. Harrell would also serve as the President and CEO of Motown Records for a time as well as the Vice president and General Manager of Def Jam. At the time of his passing, Harrell held the position of Vice Chairman of REVOLT TV & Media.

As this news is fresh, we expect there to be many reactions from industry professionals and performers about Andre Harrell no longer being with us. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Read through a few tweets about him below.

Paul Rosenberg — known by many as manager to Eminem, Danny Brown, Alchemist, Action Bronson, and more — is officially stepping down from his position as Def Jam’s CEO. As Billboard reports, Rosenberg was finding himself unable to focus on both his Goliath Management duties and his position as co-owner of Shady Records, and thus decided to bow out gracefully. The decision is said to be amicable, though Rosenberg himself has yet to make an official statement on ending his two-year tenure with the legendary label.

Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images

You may recall that Rosenberg originally secured the position in August of 2017 and enjoyed a successful run during his time as CEO. Yet those familiar with Paul’s career understand that his connection with Eminem runs deep, and it’s not entirely surprising to see him looking to dedicate more time to the Shady family. Especially given that Boogie, Griselda, and Em himself are all enjoying strong runs that would likely benefit from Paul’s increased attention. 

Billboard notes that Def Jam will make the announcement next week. It should be noted that during Rosenberg’s time in charge, many prominent rappers released new albums, including Jadakiss, Fabolous, Jeezy, Kanye West, Logic, and YG. While he had a good run, it should be interesting to see Rosenberg spending the majority of his time where it all began; one has to wonder what that spells for the future. 

PUMA and Def Jam have teamed up for a second sneaker collection, coming on the heels of the collaborative PUMA Clyde Court that debuted in the Summer of 2019. Furthermore, PUMA has announced a partnership with Public Enemy, celebrating 30 years since the release of their iconic album “Fear of a Black Planet.”

PUMA x Def Jam

Both of the collaborative collections will focus on the classic low-top Clyde as well as the relaunched Sky LX. The history of both sneakers further ties into Def Jam’s decades-long work in the music industry, where the label’s ground-breaking artists were known to rock PUMA on stage and in the booth. The PUMA x Def Jam Sky LX ($140) and PUMA x Def Jam Clyde ($90) is slated to arrive in-stores and online at PUMA.com starting this Friday, February 14.

The PUMA x Public Enemy collection features Chuck D’s famous “Fight the Power” verse on the side of the PUMA x Public Enemy Sky LX ($140) while the PUMA x Public Enemy Clyde ($90) has the “Fear of a Black Planet” boldly stamped on the outsole. Both will be available this Spring, though a specific release date has not yet been announced.

Check out all four sneakers below.

PUMA x Def Jam

PUMA x Def Jam

PUMA x Def Jam

PUMA x Def Jam

PUMA x Def Jam

PUMA x Def Jam

PUMA x Public Enemy

PUMA x Public Enemy

PUMA x Public Enemy

PUMA x Public Enemy

PUMA x Public Enemy

PUMA x Public Enemy

He’s responsible for belting out classics like “Missing You,” “Living It Up” with Ja Rule, and “Touch Me, Tease Me” with Mary J. Blige and Foxy Brown, but in recent years, Case hasn’t been involved much in the music scene as an artist. He was once one of Def Jam’s stars and the music video for his 1999 single “Happily Ever After” even featured Beyoncé as his love interest. In his recent feature on BET for Finding Case, the singer reflects on his career and how he topped the charts.

Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images

According to Case, Misa Hylton, Diddy ex and the mother of his son Justin, was instrumental in getting Case’s music in front of the right people. Misa was best friends with Mary J. Blige and she connected the two singers together to write “Touch Me, Tease Me.” After they locked themselves in the studio penning the track, they decided that the song needed a rapper. Someone mentioned that Foxy was a Def Jam artist so there wouldn’t be a problem getting her to add her vocals to the song, and the rest is hip hop and R&B history.

Case also shared details about his love affair with Mary J. and how there were more collaborations between the two of them that were scrapped from his record a week before it was released. Her label didn’t want her in his music videos or on his record, so they threatened to sue him if she made appearances. At the last minute, they had to change things up and remove the “Real Love” singer’s vocals from his tracks. He also mentioned that their romance came to halt because he was trying to sneak around with other women while out on tour as Mary’s cousin was on the road with him as his hype man.

Check out his full feature below along with the music video for “Missing You.”.

2 Chainz is a veteran in the rap game. While he experienced a rebirth and rise to stardom in the past decade, he has been making music since the 90s. Before there was the 2 Chainz we know and love today, there was Tity Boi, member of the hip hop duo, Playaz Circle. He has been signed to Def Jam since those Playaz Circle days. Given that he is now 42-years-old and has built his name to be one of the biggest in the game, it makes sense that he’s considering switching things up. 

2 Chainz is in the midst of promoting his T.R.U. University label’s compilation album, NO FACE NO CASE, which is set to drop next month. He appears on its first single, “Virgil Discount”, alongside Skooly. While this rollout is underway, 2 Chainz has also been preparing us for his next solo project. On Friday, he shared the Future-assisted single, “Dead Man Walking”. With all this going on, he called in to do an interview with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe. 

While speaking on the Apple Music radio show, 2 Chainz revealed that he’s hoping to be an independent artist by the end of 2020. “Shortly after [the release of NO FACE NO CASE], I’m dropping my solo project, which will probably be my last solo on Def Jam,” the Atlanta rapper said. When Lowe probed him on why he would leave the label after developing such a fruitful relationship there over the years, 2 Chainz explained that the motivation behind this move concerns ownership. “The future’s unknown, but I been with Def Jam for a long time. That’s my home right there. It’s no bad blood over there. I’m just coming into another layer – another section in my life – to where it’s just about owning more. And that’s all that it is. And who knows? I might stick around. It just depends on how the negotiations go. But for now, I’m looking forward to possibly being independent by the end of the year and rocking out with my guys.” 

On January 25, the documentary starring Russell Simmons’s sexual assault accusers is set to premiere at The Sundance Film Festival. The already-controversial film was thrust into even more scandal after it was revealed that Oprah Winfrey was acting as an executive producer. Both 50 Cent and Russell Simmons publicly denounced the OWN mogul’s inclusion, and later, Oprah announced that she was distancing herself from the project due to “creative vision” differences. The Def Jam mogul has vehemently denied the sexual misconduct accusations against him.

Vivien Killilea / Stringer / Getty Images

Ahead of the film’s premiere, three women who have accused Simmons of assault—Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams, and Alexia Norton Jones—sat down with CBS This Morning to share their stories. “I hope that black women and girls become more visible as a result of this documentary,” said Dixon. “This is violently tackled and raped — while saying no and fighting and crying.”

“I literally worked for him,” she continued. “He was ordering me a car, and he told me to come upstairs and pick up a demo. I thought I would be in his apartment for five total minutes. That’s it. And he showed up naked, wearing a condom and tackled me to his bed, while I screamed and fought and said, ‘No,’ and cried. That’s rape.”

Abrams said she dated Simmons in the early 1990s and alleges that he raped her, as well. “He’ll say, ‘Yes, we had a sexual relationship,’ but he cannot address the fact that I was too drunk to consent, and that the next day I called him up, screaming,” Abrams stated. “And I attempted suicide. He knew, and I told him why, that he had ruined my life, and that I had nothing.”

Meanwhile, Jones accuses Simmons of raping her in 1991 on their first date. “This was a very swift attack, and what was going through my mind more than anything was, ‘Why?’ Because I liked Russell,” Jones said. “And I, you know, I would’ve just kissed him. I would’ve made out with him. I would’ve — he didn’t have to attack me. He raped me right up against the f*cking wall. Excuse my language. But he — that’s what he did. I had to keep this secret.” Watch the clip below.

One of the most recent victims of 50 Cent‘s public slandering – aside from French Montana – is Oprah. Fif was calling out the media mogul for producing a documentary about the sexual assault allegations against Russell Simmons. The documentary focuses on the testimony of one of Simmons’ accuser, Drew Dixon, who worked at Def Jam alongside Simmons in the 90’s.

On Friday, Oprah announced that she is stepping away from the project due to creative differences between her and the filmmakers. “In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision,” she wrote in a statement. While Oprah revealed that the doc will no longer air on Apple TV+ – as part of the deal she made with the budding streaming service – her statement suggests that the doc is still set to premiere at Sundance Film Festival later this month. “Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission but given the filmmakers’ desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it’s best to step aside.”

As expected, 50 Cent supports Oprah’s decision to sever ties with this project. He argued that black men have largely been the ones facing repercussions for the #MeToo movement, while many white men accused or guilty of similar transgressions have walked away unscathed. Fif has shared two Instagram posts that express how satisfied he is about Oprah’s move. “Alright,alright,alright Oprah we love you, thank you for responding and if you ever need me for anything I’m here,” he wrote in the caption of the first post. The second post’s caption read: “Obama’s production company also passed on this documentary. Oprah stepping away from it speaks volume. We are all in support of the me too movement just not this bullshit.” 

Oprah emphasized that she’s not backing away from the doc due to her belief in the credibility of the accusations. “I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women,” she stated. “Their stories deserve to be told and heard.”

Talk of LL Cool J releasing new music has seemingly been going on forever, or at least since he dropped his last album, Authentic, in 2013. However, as he's remained focused on his acting career, most notably his 10 year run (and counting) on NCIS: Los Angeles, LL has yet to follow up the nearly 6-year-old project with a new body of work. It looks like this is all about to change, as the rapper-turned-actor is about to turn rapper again based on an announcement he made on Twitter on Sunday. Mr. Ladies Love Cool James informed the Twitterverse that he's been busy in the studio, working closely with a particular  producer who is sure to excite hip hop fans everywhere.