Sad news indeed. Definitive Jux, the premiere indie-rap record label of the noughts, is going “on hiatus,” the standard euphemism for “shutting down.” If you are a person of taste and distinction, you’ve got a couple of records from this label in your collection. In my opinion, El-P is the white Dr. Dre: a triple-genius producer (and a B-plus rapper) and incredible tastemaker who defines the boundaries of his corner of the music scene. It’s a bit of an exaggeration to say that everything good in underground hip-hop over the last ten years has gone through his hands at some point; nevertheless, a eulogy is not the place for restraining your hyperbole so I’m running with it.

Def Jux will be missed. But hey, it’s damn near impossible to keep a for-real record label running in this economy, in this era of irresistibly-free music. Pour out a Sparks for them all.

Here’s a couple of my favorite tracks from Def Jux over the years. Minus Cannibal Ox, my all-time favorite Def Jukies, who I feel we kinda covered already with the RJD2 post. You can read El-P’s full statement here.

Aesop Rock – “Daylight”
Mr. Lif – “A Glimpse at the Struggle”
El-P – “Accidents Don’t Happen”

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