Def Jam Africa

Def Jam Africa was launched by Universal Music Group (UMG) on 26 May 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria.

It is UMG’s division dedicated to representing the hip hop, Afrobeats and trap talent on the continent. It will be supported by dedicated A&R, marketing, creative and digital teams from UMG Nigeria and South Africa and reports to Universal Music sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa managing director Sipho Dlamini.

The label follows the blueprint of the iconic Def Jam Recordings label, which has led and influenced the cutting-edge in hip hop and urban culture for more than 35 years. The label seeks to identify and sign talent from across the entire continent.

Def Jam Africa launched with a flagship roster of top African artists such as Boity, Cassper Nyovest, Nadia Nakai, Nasty C, Tshego, Tellaman, Ricky Tyler, Larry Gaaga and Vector.