Various
Def Jam 25: Serato Control Edition Vinyl Pack

Listening notes

Released in 2010 to mark the 25th anniversary of Def Jam Recordings, this four-sided vinyl package carries catalog number B0013681-01 and takes an unusual approach to commemorating the label's catalogue. Rather than functioning as a straightforward compilation, it is classified under both Hip Hop and Non-Music genres, a dual designation that reflects its hybrid purpose as a Serato control vinyl set.

The A and C sides collect six tracks drawn from across the Def Jam roster. Side A opens with LL Cool J's "I Need A Beat" at four minutes and thirty-one seconds, followed by Slick Rick's "Children's Story" and the Beastie Boys' "Paul Revere." Side C presents Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It 2 Me)," DMX's "Party Up (Up In Here)," and Method Man and Redman's "Da Rockwilder." The selection spans artists associated with the label across different periods of its first quarter century.

Sides B and D each carry a ten-minute Serato Control Tone, the timecode signal used with Serato's digital vinyl software to allow DJs to manipulate digital audio files using a physical turntable and stylus. The inclusion of these tones is what distinguishes this release from a conventional anniversary compilation and gives it its Non-Music genre classification.

The pairing of source material and control tones on a single set of records reflects a practical orientation toward DJ use. The tracklist as sequenced places the musical content on the outer sides and the control tones on the inner sides of what is a two-disc set.

This draft has not been reviewed for accuracy and should be verified against primary sources before publication.