Read El’s official statement on Def Jux’s Website

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.

If you watched the Vast Aire vs Def Jux beef that brewed from May to Mid August this year then you prolly knew change was in the air.

Scotty Cockblock(Sweatin,Invented Columbus Hardcore) and DC Kareem(Get Right/MilkBar) are throwing a new Funk Party tonight with Columbus Hip Hop Pioneer DJ True Skills in the limelight. True Skills(Adrian Willis) has some of most curious, peregrine psychedelic funk records I have heard. Its like a weed brigadeiros for your body’s internal rhythmic response mechanisms.

After the Jump. 1 Important Fact about DJ True Skills.

(more…)

I saw this over @ www.low-bee.com and thought it was kinda funny:

Funcrusher El-P thinks Spankrock is bullshit—>here. And I guess Jared Leto and Spankrock aren’t feeling each other according Stereogum.–>here. In a more localized response, as I am typing this with the Spankrock website window open, an annoyed ex-graffiti writer turned Chef , Nerd 1 is asking me what is this crap that I am listening to right now. And keeps telling me it sounds like Fergie

Photo by Johnny Cashola

Later this week, I intend on giving a brief history of the late 90’s Hip Hop indie rap boom, EL-P’s place in it, and how all of those things relate to Columbus Hip Hop (ie RJD2, Blueprint, Camu Tao etc) in a really simplified manner.

With that said, EL-P aka Jamie Meline appearing in Columbus last Saturday was way over due. Early that afternoon, EL did an instore at Mags. It rained heavily so the turn-out wasn’t amazing. As the Hip Hop buyer at Magnolia, it is always embarrassing when an instore doesn’t work out. You always feel like you are gonna bruise the artists ego. He took it in stride. I had interviewed EL for the Alive, so his opinion that artists need to connect with fans and all people in between out of shear fact that people like music was in practice.

Watching a notoriously cynical New Yorker sincerely be nice to people once again proved to me the EL-P really gets it. The juxtiposition of nihilism that anyone living in this world should possess and a respect of the fact that anyone gives a fuck about his music was something that other malcontents could learn from.

Like… Photo-op’s are retarded, wanting someone’s autograph is silly, the whole fishbowl process of an instore is awkward. But he would take the photos and sign the cd’s. He would talk to anyone that had anything to say. This might sound basic, but a lot of artists don’t get this.

I have had notable indie rappers in the store that treated their fans like idiot followers which caused people to stop buying the artists records.

You don’t have to pander. No need to be a prick.
Just as you aren’t a moron, your fans aren’t either.

Well maybe I am a moron sometimes. But usually I don’t smile for the camera either.
Photo by Danielle Kline
(more…)

El-P dismissed hope for the anticipated Cannibal Ox Reunion in an interview with producer blog Can I Bring My Gat.

Is there a new Can Ox album coming out any time soon?

I really doubt it.

Really?

The fact of the matter is that everyone has been crossing their fingers, including Def Jux, hoping that Cannibal Ox would get their shit together as a group, even to the point where I resigned them. I really hoped and prayed that they would get their shit together, thought they were at a certain juncture in time. At this point I can’t pretend anymore or cover for those guys. They haven’t been together for a long time, but they tried to get it back together again, but it’s proving to be an impossible task.

That breaks my heart.

You’re not the only one buddy.