 Slick Rick on the set of his video for "Children's Story" not far from Def Jam's offices on Elizabeth Street in downtown New York. To his right is Ric Menello, who directed "Children's Story" and other seminal early Def Jam videos. Just a few months later, life would imitate art for Slick Rick. Just like the lyrics in "Children's Story" -- "Raced up the block doing 83, crashed into a tree near university" -- Rick would be speeding from cops after shooting his cousin He was caught, and eventually would be going to prison for six years.
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 One of Def Jam's legendary Chirstmas Parties, 1988. It was the only night during the year when the record label and the management company put all stress and differences aside, and partied like it's '99. Center: Slick Rick; far right: Eric B. and Run on the far right. |
 A still from the set of the video for Public Enemy's "Night of the Living Baseheads." Flavor Flav is in the center, with Chuck D. on his left. Hank Shocklee, PE's producer and one-third of the Bomb Squad, is on the top right-hand corner, and Bill Stephney -- also one of PE's producers and a former promotions director for Def Jam -- is on Shocklee's left.
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 LL Cool J journeyed to South Africa during his 1988 Nitro Tour to mingle with the locals. |
 Brett Ratner (check out his introduction in "Def Jam, Inc.") with Slick Rick in 1991. Slick Rick would show up on video sets without his signature mass of gold chains. He had them stowed in a brown paper bag, and would only put them on when he made a special appearance. |
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 MCA of the Beastie Boys and Lyor Cohen goofing around in a hotel during a stop on the Licensed to Ill tour. Within a year, the Beastie Boys went from being virtual unknowns to headlining their own national tour. Lyor, who was working full-time for Rush Management, was their manager.
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 The Beastie Boys on a private plane, taking them to Daytona Beach, in the Spring of 1987. The second from left is the winner of their contest, who was "kidnapped" and flown down to MTV's Spring Break, which the Beasties were co-hosting. (For more details about the debauchery and highjinx that took place during the Daytona trip, check out the book.)
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 Mike D, Russell Simmons, and MCA strike a pose, during a rare collective appearance in suits. The occasion: Lyor Cohen's wedding in the Dominican Republic in 1988. |
 Every parent's nightmare: The Beastie Boys during a typical stage show during their 1987 Licensed to Ill tour. The Budweiser cans would eventually come down, after the beer giant sued for copyright infringement, but the inflatable phallus remained, as did the dancing girl in the cage. |
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 Mike D., crossing the street after a deli run back to his apartment, in giant red clown shoes. It was October, 1987 and the Beasties Boys were trying to catch their breaths from the back-to-back touring schedule of the past two years. Eventually, they would leave Def Jam for another label. (For more behind-the-scenes information on their conflict with Def Jam, check out the book.) |
