| The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Universal Music Group |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Distributor(s) | Self-Distributed (In the US) Mercury Records (Outside the US - Def Jam) Island Records (Outside the US - Island) |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Official Website | islanddefjam.com |
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group[1][2][3][4], formerly The Island Def Jam Music Group, is an umbrella label formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a label group. In 2011, Motown Records was split from the Universal Motown Republic Group and subsequently merged into the The Island Def Jam Music Group.[5] Barry Weiss serves as Chairman & CEO of the company.[6]
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The Island Def Jam Music Group was formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, as a result of the merger between Universal Music and PolyGram labels. Also incorporated into the venture was the staff, roster, and back catalog of Mercury Records, which was dismantled for several years until it was revived as a new venture in 2007. Meanwhile, the labels Island Records and Def Jam Recordings continue to operate as their own respective labels as a part of the Island Def Jam Music Group umbrella (Island has concentrated on pop and rock performers, while Def Jam has most of the group's hip hop and R&B acts). The company is also affiliated with Lost Highway Records.
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group is one of two Universal Music Group umbrella labels in North America to market the works of primarily mainstream pop, rock, and urban performers—the other being Interscope-Geffen-A&M. In 2011, L.A. Reid stepped down as head of the company and was replaced by Barry Weiss. As a result of Motown Records being merged into the group, the company changed its name to the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.