The rumors are true: Definitive Jux, the seminal NY-based independent hip-hop label, has officially called it quits — as a label at least. In a statement issued on its official website, El-P (the label’s co-founder) says that Definitive Jux as a traditional record label “will effectively be put on hiatus.” But he also clarifies that the label is not closing, it’s changing. Besides, El-P plans to be a full-time producer and artist from here on out, so it’s certainly not all sad news.
From El-P:
This year, a decade after starting DEF JUX and after overseeing the releases of some incredible albums including the forthcoming release of my dear late and great friend Camu Tao’s brilliant “KING OF HEARTS” LP, I’m stepping away from my duties as artistic director for the label to concentrate on what I love most: being a producer and an artist full time. This is something I’ve been contemplating for a few years now, and can’t think of a better time or, with the eventual release of Camu’s record, a more poetic way to transition into a new direction.
This means change for JUX. Of course we’ll still have our website, we will still sell our catalog, merch and more as well as bring you news and updates on all our projects and artists. We will be releasing “KING OF HEARTS”, a DEF JUX remix compilation, a 10 year anniversary retrospective and some other goodies. But then as a traditional record label DEF JUX will effectively be put on hiatus. We are not closing, but we are changing. The process is already underway, and the last several months (for those wondering what the hell we’ve been up to) have been spent dealing with the technical aspects of wrapping up the label in it’s current form and re-imagining our collective and individual futures.
Read the rest of his post here.
• Definitive Jux: http://www.definitivejux.net