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This online exhibition was first published in 2014 by Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections with selections and text contributed by Bill Adler. Cornell University Library archived the original version of the online exhibition in 2024 to preserve its earlier design. This version maintains access to the original images and text within an updated website.
In 2014, the Cornell University Hip Hop Collection marked the 30th anniversary of Def Jam Recordings with this look at 1984-85: Def Jam’s ground-breaking first year, told through rare and unique items from Bill Adler’s Hip Hop Archive, part of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.