Def Soul Records was an R&B-based division of American multinational record label Def Jam Recordings. It was formed in 1996 by Russell Simmons and Kevin Liles to expand R&B and soul music through Def Jam's said genre-related roster following the successes of Montell Jordan and Case.
Capitalizing on the successes of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" in 1995 and Case's self-titled debut album in 1996, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons and then-vice president Kevin Liles teamed up to form Def Soul Records, to expand the label's R&B roster. The first release from the label shortly after its formation was Jordan's second album, More..., which came on August 27, 1996, two weeks after Case's debut. Both albums were certified gold.[2][3]
Then came trio Playa, whose single "Cheers 2 U" (1998) cracked the top ten of the BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. After appearing on the How to Be a Playersoundtrack (1997) with the Foxy Brown-assisted "I Gotta Know", the group was greenlit to develop their debut album for Def Soul.[4] Their album, also titled Cheers 2 U. Despite the building hype, the album did not chart perfectly on Billboard, debuting at number eighty-nine on the Billboard 200. It was later overshadowed[how?] a week later by Jordan's third follow-up, Let's Ride, which made the top ten of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and (like its predecessor) went gold. The title track gained the album some notoriety, due to No Limit Records labelmates and brothers Master P and Silkk the Shocker delivering their verses.[1]
After the folding of Island Black into Def Soul and the UMG creation of IDJMG, Def Soul began to revamp their success with Jordan's Get It On... Tonite in November. While the title track provided success at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, the album itself didn't perform well as Jordan's previous three, despite being his second gold-seller.[1] That same month, Dru Hill leader Sisqó's solo debut, Unleash the Dragon, started to take off.[1] Having debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and going platinum the following year. Extended success came from its singles, "Got to Get It", the number-one "Incomplete" and "Thong Song".[7][8][9][10] "Thong Song", however, was the one that gained more success than the previous two, despite being number three on the Hot 100.[11][12]
Summer 2000 saw the release of Kelly Price's sophomore album and her first under Def Soul, Mirror Mirror, which managed to gain the top three of Billboard's R&B album chart and go gold. It was solidified by the singles, "You Should Have Told Me" and "Love Sets You Free"; the latter colliding fellow Def Soul acts Case, Montell Jordan, Dru Hill, Playa, Kandice Love and LovHer together as Price's "friends".[13][1] Following up was the soundtrack to Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which made number one on the R&B chart and went platinum.[14] The soundtrack helped to make way for Philadelphia soul artist Musiq Soulchild's career after his track, "Just Friends (Sunny)", which came on the soundtrack, became a radio hit.[15][16] Later that November, Musiq released his debut album, Aijuswanaseing, which made the near-bottom of the top thirty section of the Billboard 200, but managed to go gold two months after.[17]
In 2002, the label's vigilance was declining. Jordan left Def Soul after his eponymous fifth album failed to chart on Billboard.[20][21][22]Aaron Soul, who previously scored a U.K. hit with "Ring, Ring, Ring", also had internal conflict with Def Soul as so Jonell regarding the delaying of their albums.[citation needed]3rd Storee lost their deal with Def Soul after their album, Get with Me, failed to perform properly.[citation needed] Besides that, Musiq continued on his success with his sophomore album, Juslisen, becoming his first and also, Def Soul's first, number-one album on the Billboard 200.[23][1] Not long after that, Dru Hill began work on their comeback album, Dru World Order, after four years of inactivity. It was released that November, but didn't match the success as the group's previous works.[24][1]
2003 saw a huge dwindle within the division as LovHer and Jonell were dropped from the label. Terri Walker's untitled debut also didn't chart well on the UK Albums chart at number one-hundred eighteen despite going gold and having positive feedback from critics.[citation needed] As Walker suffered downhill failure, Kelly Price also faced similar problems as her third album, Priceless, also failed to match the successes of her previous two albums. She left the label in 2005 following serious issues.[citation needed] Former Bad Boy quartet 112 joined Def Soul after a falling out with founder Sean "Diddy" Combs.[25][26][1] December saw the releases of 112's Hot & Wet and Musiq's Soulstar. Both albums also failed to garner commercial notoriety despite having peaked within the top five of the Billboard R&B album chart and going gold. The following year, Def Soul and Mama's Boys Music released the soundtrack to the comedy, Johnson Family Vacation, featuring the single, "Shoulda Known Betta" by Case. He left the label sometime the same year after the continued delaying of his planned fourth studio album.[citation needed] May commenced the release of Patti LaBelle's Timeless Journey which became a top five R&B album on the chart, due to the success of its single, "New Day".[27][28]
Around 2005, 112 released their fifth album, Pleasure & Pain, which failed to meet the commercial success as their four projects. Soon after, 112 were released from the division after the album's release. LaBelle released Classic Moments under the Def Soul Classics imprint, but soon left the label after she accused then-vice president of Def Jam, L.A. Reid of misconduct.[29] As 2006 came, Def Soul began to die down. Despite the release of The Isley Brothers' Baby Makin' Music in May[30][1] and it charting at number five on the Billboard 200, the label still hasn't rebuilt fanfare. Also in 2006, Musiq Soulchild was let go from Def Soul, due to a de facto label trade between Def Jam and Atlantic Records; taking Musiq to Atlantic and switching Fabolous to Def Jam.[31][32]
Only two Christmas albums commenced on Def Soul in late 2007, LaBelle's Miss Patti's Christmas and the Isley Brothers' I'll Be Home for Christmas. The following two years came without activity from the label. Many outlets and social media users were concerned that fellow R&B acts Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Jeremih and Chrisette Michele's successful careers at parent label Def Jam were what caused Def Soul Records to fall down, besides the aforementioned four not being signed to this division.[citation needed] Then, in November 2010, Ronald Isley released his comeback solo album following his prison release, Mr. I.[33] This was the final release under the Def Soul imprint; in May 2011, Def Soul was finally folded into Def Jam Records, taking the rest of its remaining roster with it and consolidating all of Def Jam's artist roster of various genres together.[citation needed]
Recently, as of December 2021, there has been an official playlist on Spotify by Def Jam, using the label's name, mixing the label's singles with that of recent Def Jam R&B songs following the shutdown.[34]
Def Soul Classics was a greatest hits branch of Def Soul Records, complimenting on re-releases or greatest hits projects released under the division.[citation needed]
The first release under the Def Soul Classics branch despite the name was Patti LaBelle's Timeless Journey on May 4, 2004. A year later, the first greatest hits compilation under Def Soul Classics, Dru Hill's Hits was released that October.
In 2005, Def Soul Classics released LaBelle's Classic Moments, followed up by the Isley Brothers' Baby Makin' Music in May 2006. The Classics branch also released two Christmas albums towards the end of 2007, Isley's I'll Be Home for Christmas and LaBelle's Miss Patti's Christmas.
The final release under the Classics branch was Ronald Isley's solo album, Mr I. in 2010. Then, as with the entirety of Def Soul Records, this label was also folded into Def Jam.[citation needed]
Mark Althavan Andrews, known professionally as Sisqó, is an American R&B singer. Following his tenure as lead performer of the R&B group Dru Hill, he quickly reached success as a solo act with the release of his debut studio album Unleash the Dragon (1999), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It spawned the singles "Incomplete" and "Thong Song", which peaked at numbers one and three on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. His second album, Return of Dragon (2001) trailed commercially, as did his subsequent releases. He received 12th place on the eleventh season of The Masked Singer as Lizard.
Taalib Johnson, better known by the stage name Musiq Soulchild or simply Musiq is an American singer and songwriter whose style blends R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and gospel influences fused with hip hop. Soulchild has released several successful studio albums that went platinum in the United States.
Montell Du'Sean Barnett Jordan is an American singer, pastor, songwriter, and record producer. Best known for his 1995 single "This Is How We Do It", Jordan was the primary male solo artist on Def Jam's Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003.
Dru Hill is an American R&B group, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was founded in Baltimore in 1992 by Tamir "Nokio the N-Tity" Ruffin, and as of 2023, is still active. Dru Hill recorded seven top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B number-one hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise" and "How Deep Is Your Love". Its original members were lead singer Mark "Sisqó" Andrews, Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, Larry "Jazz" Anthony and James "Woody" Green. The group achieved popularity in the mid 1990s.
The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by Universal Music Group. It consisted of labels created under the operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings. On April 1, 2014, Universal Music Group publicly announced the disbandment of the Island Def Jam Music Group, leaving IDJMG and its affiliated subsidiaries as separate sister labels.
Juslisen is the second studio album by American singer Musiq Soulchild, simply known at the time as Musiq. It was released on May 7, 2002 under the Def Soul subsidiary of Def Jam Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, where it spent 35 weeks before falling off on February 22, 2003. It was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
Def Jam Recordings is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
"Incomplete" is a song by American R&B singer Sisqó. It was released on June 13, 2000, as the third and final single from his first solo album, Unleash the Dragon (1999). Written by Def Soul artist Montell Jordan and Anthony "Shep" Crawford, and produced by Crawford, the song was Sisqó's biggest solo single and his only number-one hit in the US, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "Incomplete" is also Sisqó's third and most recent Hot 100 top-40 hit; within two years of its release, Sisqó would return to his role as Dru Hill's lead singer.
Enter the Dru is the second studio album from American R&B group Dru Hill. Released on October 27, 1998, it was the group's second and final album for Island Black Music, the urban music division of Island Records; Island was merged with Def Jam Recordings following a company merger in December the same year, as Dru Hill would later be transferred to Def Jam's Def Soul subsidiary.
Aijuswanaseing is the debut studio album by American singer Musiq Soulchild. It was released on November 14, 2000, through Def Soul Recordings and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album debuted at number 32 on the US Billboard 200 chart on December 2, 2000. On the Billboard 200, it peaked at No. 24 on April 7, 2001, and after spending 41 weeks on the chart, exited on September 8, 2001; on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, it spent 67 weeks, falling off on June 1, 2002.
Baby Makin' Music is the thirtieth studio album by the American Ohio musical soul group, the Isley Brothers. It was released under the short-lived Def Soul Classics imprint on May 9, 2006.
Dru World Order is the third studio album by American R&B group Dru Hill, released on November 26, 2002.
Soulstar is the third studio album by American singer Musiq Soulchild. It was released on December 9, 2003. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number thirteen, spending 23 weeks on the chart and exiting on May 29, 2004; on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart where it peaked at number three, it spent 37 weeks, falling off on September 9, 2004.
"Halfcrazy" is a song performed by Musiq Soulchild, issued as the lead single from his second studio album Juslisen. The single was released only on vinyl; and it contains a sample of Charlie Byrd's cover of Francis Lai's "Vivre Pour Vivre." The song is Musiq's biggest hit to date on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 16 in 2002.
Get It On...Tonite is the fourth studio album by the American singer Montell Jordan. It was released by Def Jam Recordings's spin-off label Def Soul on November 9, 1999, in the United States. The production was by Jordan, Anthony "Shep" Crawford, and Jazz the Man. Another success, it peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard 200 and number 3 on the top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The title track found also found success on the Billboard charts, peaking at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps is the soundtrack album to Peter Segal's 2000 comedy film Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. It was released on July 11, 2000, through Def Jam Recordings, as a sequel to 1996 The Nutty Professor Soundtrack, and mainly composed of R&B and hip hop music.
Timeless Journey is a studio album by American singer Patti LaBelle. Her first release with Def Soul Classics, it was released on May 4, 2004 in the United States. One of her most commercially successful albums, it reached number five on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, also hitting the top 20 on the Billboard 200. Timeless Journey produced the singles "New Day" and "2 Steps Away".
#1 Spot is a music compilation album distributed by Def Jam. Released June 14, 2005, it features seventeen hip hop R&B hits in chronological order which were released since the launch of the record label in 1985 until 2003, including releases under the Island and the now-defunct Def Soul imprints. Hence the title of the album, all went to the number-one spot on the Billboard R&B chart, with five songs reaching the Billboard Hot 100 number-one spot: This Is How We Do It, Incomplete, Always on Time, Foolish and Stand Up.
Life on Earth is the seventh studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Musiq Soulchild. It was released on April 15, 2016, by eOne Music. It is the first album to be released on an independent label, after previously recording several albums on Def Jam Recordings and Atlantic Records. The album entered the US Billboard 200 at number 27.
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