Which record label did Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin co-found in 1984?

Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin co-founded Def Jam Recordings in 1984.

The label began in Rubin’s dorm room at New York University, where he produced early releases and helped shape the label’s raw, stripped-down sound. Simmons brought experience from managing his brother Joseph “Run” Simmons of Run-DMC and from the emerging New York hip-hop business.

Def Jam’s first release was “It’s Yours” by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay in 1984. The label soon became associated with influential artists including LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and Run-DMC. Its catalog helped bring New York hip hop to a large international audience.

Def Jam is sometimes confused with Roc-A-Fella Records, Death Row Records, or Bad Boy Records, but those labels were founded later and had different leadership. Rubin left Def Jam in the late 1980s, while the company continued operating under changing ownership.