By: Ryan Dillon
In the mid to late 80s, there wasn’t a more innovative and dominant figure in East Coast hip-hop than Def Jam Records. The small label, started by two hip-hop hopefuls, blossomed into a media empire behind some of the most groundbreaking and long-standing hip-hop that is still discussed today. Founders Rick Rubin and Richard Simmons set out to become a part of an already burgeoning Hip-hop scene in New York City. By the late 80s, their presence was undeniable, so much so that they set their sights beyond the limits of NYC and, in 1987 sent out some of their most acclaimed and commercially successful artists on the road for The ‘87 Def Jam Tour.