1984 brought the formation of the Def Jam record label and the release of its first single, "I Need A Beat". Founded by promoter Russel Simmons and then NYU college student Rick Rubin, Def Jam went on to become an industry powerhouse. 1984 also gave rise to an MC battle of epic proportions as U.T.F.O dropped "Roxanne, Roxanne", and, in response, Marley Marl and Roxanne Shante released "Roxanne's Revenge". That same year, Queens-based Run-D.M.C. put out their raucous self-titled debut LP.

"I Need a Beat"

Rapper L.L. Cool J was only 16 years old when he recorded "I Need a Beat" in Def Jam founder Rick Rubin's college dorm room. Though it was cut for only $700 and was the very first single released on the fledgling Def Jam label, it went on to sell more than 100,000 copies. Like the other indeed rap labels that had cropped up in recent years, Def Jam focused on a new, younger breed of rappers. As the appetite for old school waned, so did the status of Sugar Hill, its dominant record label.



"Run D.M.C."

Released in 1984, Run D.M.C.'s self-titled Profile Records debut representing the dawning of a new age in hip-hop. The tracks on the album were hard, blunt, gritty and aggressive, and the tracks like "Rock Box" even featured metal guitar riffs. With Run D.M.C. shouting their lyrics - relentlessly finishing each other's stark rhymes - it was obvious that this was no happy-go-luck party jam. But it wasn't just Run D.M.C.'s music that was different - so was their image. In contrast to their costume-wearing predecessors, Run D.M.C. were strictly street-style, preferring the dark, urban clothing of hardcore b-boys to the flashy party gear of the earlier era.



"Roxanne, Roxanne"

Released by U.T.F.O. in 1984 Roxanne, Roxanne was a huge hit. A dis on a fictional woman named Roxanne; it launched the biggest MC battle in history. By the time it was over, more than 100 response records had been made by rappers who had adopted the Roxanne alias, among them Marley Marl's protégé Roxanne Shante (who was only 15 at the time) and a rapper who called herself the Real Roxanne.