Stacy Gueraseva: Def Jam, Inc.

To the Bronx, NY by way of Russia, Stacy Gueraseva found her place in hip hop culture early. Through writing, she worked her way to editor-in-chief of Russell Simmons’ OneWorld Magazine, but more significantly, she captured the inside scoop of the first hip hop label, Def Jam. She tells the story of how Def Jam, a mere idea founded out of a NYU dorm room, became the hip hop powerhouse it is today.

Scheme: When and how were you introduced to hip hop culture?

Gueraseva: I was sort of introduced by observing my surroundings. It wasn’t music in particular, it was the energy. I didn’t know the name of it yet, but it was a manifestation of hip hop culture. It was 1981, so it was the beginning. We moved to North West Bronx, far from where hip hop originated, but it still seeped into that area. I remember girls playing double-dutch, which was a new thing to me. We didn’t have that in Russia. I remember that was something different and looking back, I would think that these girls must have been into hip hop based on their movements. We went to a special school for the first eight years and we weren’t allowed to interact with Americans. There was a time when Russia and America were major enemies. We got most of our information from TV and radio. Watching local TV, especially videos, was where I got my introduction to hip hop. That’s how I saw and heard hip hop, it was still marginal and you were either hip to the culture with your friends or you were aware of the media coverage. My contact with hip hop was sort of through a looking glass, only images of it. When we started going to an American high school, we got full blown coverage of hip hop. When hip hop went mainstream, its exposure allowed people to know more legitimate artist like Rakim and Run DMC.

Scheme: Was there an instant attraction for you?

Gueraseva: I don’t know if it was an instant attraction. I remember being instantly attracted to Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince! They were popular and there was an element of credibility. I didn’t have the proper access to the other stuff out there, so I was limited to artist like The Fresh Prince. I used to put on performances of “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” [In] 1991-92, that’s when I started to get into it. There was a different kind of energy. There was underground stuff, like Naughty by Nature, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, those were the attractions. I went from being a curious observer to a fan.

Scheme: Why did you choose to focus on the story of Def Jam? In your opinion, why is Def Jam a piece of hip hop history?

Gueraseva: It just seemed like a fun story to tell. Challenging and fun. I was working at Russell Simmons’ magazine, OneWorld, as the editor-in-chief, and I spent some time with him – this was 1998 and `99. Every writer with ambition will probably say that their goal is to write a book, so I began to put the story of Def Jam in my mind and how it started and where it was presently. So, I thought it would be appropriate for a book and not just a magazine article, because that’s been done. That’s where the seed started and Def Jam was so obvious because there was no other label like it. Now, there are so many mergers. But, back then, the logo and the company stood for a lot. That’s when I got the idea. Their stars were also doing well at the same time, DMX, LL Cool J, etc. I knew it would be a great story to tell. I began to put the proposal together just to see how far I could take it.

Scheme: What type of research was involved in preparing for this book?

Gueraseva: I had already laid a foundation with the proposal, it was very detailed. I did a few interviews with not so prominent characters, but those that would be resourceful. I interviewed everyone from artist to marketing directors, managers, publishing companies, Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, Kevin Lyles, etc.

Scheme: What was the dedication and drive you noticed in Simmons and Rubin that made them so successful in bringing hip hop to the mainstream?

Gueraseva: Just from working at the magazine and watching Russell, I knew what kind of drive he had and the type of person he was. They just genuinely loved the culture and kind of got off on it! They were just business minded people, all for the music and culture coming together. If you were to ask either of them if they knew that hip hop was going to get big, they both would say no! No one knew. It was the day to day dedication to their roster, artist that benefited hip hop. There was a marriage of all these like-minded people and each one was incredibly passionate about their goals. It was a very exciting time. Def Jam was everyone’s baby.

Scheme: How has hip hop changed in your opinion – from your research, icons, image, lyrics, and artistry?

Gueraseva:Well it’s cliché to say that hip hop has changed. I mean, the fun is missing, it’s very business like now. Now it’s very rigid. You just have to know where to look for the real hip hop. It’s good and it’s bad, it comes down to either subcultures or no subcultures. The blend of different music forms coming together like trip-hop and electronica. But when artist like Nas comes out with an album, to me it’s like the return of hip hop, though his album is called “Hip Hop is Dead.” It’s not dead; it’s just going through a metamorphosis. You just have to follow what you like. There are certain styles for everyone. It’s a personal thing. You don’t have to buy what’s being marketed in your face. It’s a little harder to be experimental because it’s harder for artist to sell records with the business change. Labels are more paranoid with what to put out there. You can’t find a major label putting out 3rd Base - like artists, it’s just not going to happen – a double edge. The priority for the label is harder. On the same token, thanks to the Internet, you can find things so much more easily. You don’t have to go to the music store or listen to the radio. It’s sort of like a high to look for cool music, like iTunes or MySpace. There are many options out there, you just have to look for them. It’s a buffet of sound!

Scheme: What type of impact does Def Jam have on the culture today?

Gueraseva: Sadly, even when I was still working on my book [in], 2003 and 2004, it was different because a lot of people left that label after L.A. Reid came. There was a totally different foundation for hip hop. He didn’t look hip hop, but he knew hip hop and, Russell was still there supporting the original artist, but after everyone left there was no original sound of Def Jam. Honestly, if you ask me right now, who was the latest break through artist that was hip hop, was maybe Rihanna. But thankfully, Russell built a strong foundation that Def Jam has an instant association to hip hop.

Scheme: Do you still listen to hip hop?

Gueraseva: Yeah, yes of course! To tell you the truth, it’s mostly older stuff. I don’t buy hip hop anymore, the selection is a little slim these days. I like more edgy artists that overlap with hip hop. It says something that I haven’t bought a CD lately. I would probably buy Lady Sovereign. Most good hip hop isn’t even coming out of the states. Kanye West gets none of my attention and I don’t see Diddy as a hip hop artist at all, he’s more pop music. Just having rap on the track doesn’t mean its hip hop. The beginning of hip hop won’t ever return again because there’s very little element of discovery. When it stops happening, I tend to move on to the next.

myspace.com/defjambook