25 years later, the independent spirit of adventure that began in an NYU college dorm room is still the guiding principle of Def Jam Recordings, home of the greatest names in the history of hip-hop, rap and R&B – from LL Cool J and Slick Rick to Rihanna and Kanye West, from Public Enemy and 3rd Bass to Ludacris, Redman and Rick Ross, from Jay-Z to Young Jeezy, Ne-Yo, the Roots, and dozens more.

Def Jam’s 25th anniversary celebration year moves into high gear next week with the October 6th release of DEF JAM 25 ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION.

The deluxe 5-CD crate that traces the label’s history over the course of 60 tracks on five chronological discs – from the opening track of CD One, LL Cool J’s “I Need a Beat” (the first record with a Def Jam catalog number, in 1984) to the final track of CD Five, Young Jeezy’s #1 single of 2008, “Put On.” (Please see complete track listings below.)