10 Best Vinyl You Can Cop at the Def Jam Pop-Up This Weekend
Checkout out releases from Kanye West, Rihanna, Ludacris, YG, and more.
On Saturday, November 9, Def Jam s celebrating 40 years of existence by hosting a pop-up at Complex in Los Angeles.
The event will feature album listening sessions, DJs spinning choice selections from the Def Jam vault, and a panel of prestigious producers discussing their work across the banner’s iconic catalog.
Along with the day’s programming, attendees can sift through a collection of vinyl representing all eras of Def Jam’s legacy (including a few Complex-exclusive drops.)
Here are 10 of the most interesting drops, all of which will be available at the pop-up this weekend.
Logic — 'No Pressure'
Price: $39.98
An early-pandemic offering, Logic’s No Pressure seized on our expanded downtime and a widening sense of dystopia with a dialed-in pen and several excerpts of Orson Welles broadcasts. It returns to vinyl with an alternate cover gracing the limited edition gatefold, offering fans an opportunity to round out their collections with a connoisseur-minded pick-up.
Jhene Aiko — 'Souled Out'
Price: $37.99
Despite her darling status during the final stretch of the Blog Era, Jhené Aiko's debut album Souled Out kind of flew under the radar when it was released in 2014. In hindsight, though, much of the airy, pop-tinged, and deceptively technical R&B that defined the mid-2010s probably owes its resonance to Aiko and the esteemed team of musicians assembled for her major-label debut, with No I.D. handling the bulk of the album’s production.
The 2-LP Souled Out vinyl will be available in a gorgeous Opaque Blue Lagoon color, making it well worth the purchase.
YG — 'My Krazy Life' Deluxe
Price: 37.99
Following years of tinkering and buzz-building in primitive digital spaces, YG finally landed, full-force, with the release of his 2014 debut album, My Krazy Life. Frigidly cool and disarmingly biographical, the opening page in the rapper’s major label portfolio is a neck-jerking, trigger-friendly lap around the block that added a new dimension to LA’s rap renaissance. This 2 LP vinyl comes in a “fruit punch” red variant that is perfect for this particular rapper.
Rihanna — 'Loud'
Price: $32.99
Rihanna’s Loud has received the glossy acetate treatment for the first time since 2017. The album houses a polished collection of cuts (including early Drake and Nicki Minaj collaborations,) as well as some of the surest and sturdiest signals of an almost unchallenged reign over pop, which has yet to subside despite not having released an album since 2016.
Kanye West — 'The College Dropout'
Price: $32.99
A classic from cover to cover, The College Dropout proved Kanye West was as capable in front of his production as he was behind it. Available in a standard 2LP set, the debut album from the controversy-stirring artist earned him a 4x platinum introduction proper, topped multiple “best of the decade” lists, and wracked up a pair of Grammys for “Best Rap Album” and “Best Rap Song,” for “Jesus Walks.”
JAY-Z — 'The Black Album'
Price: $32.99
The project every subsequent retirement fakeout has been modeled after, The Black Album remains a wildly influential scroll in Jay-Z’s catalog and the broader theory of modern release planning. It features some of the rapper’s most lauded writing to date, and arguably, the highest concentration of bangers on any Jay-Z album, including, but certainly not limited to, “What More Can I Say,” “Public Service Announcement,” “Lucifer,” “99 Problems,” “Change Clothes,” and more.
Ludacris — 'Word of Mouf'
Price: 37.99
Back when commercial air waves were music’s most vital forum, Ludacris seemed to have figured out the radio play equation better than most. And his third studio album, Word of Mouf, was where the Atlanta rapper perfected his math, filling it to the brim with sticky—icky, icky, icky—singles helmed by an Avengers-scale cast of producers, including Timbaland, Organized Noize, Jermaine Dupri, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz, and Bangladesh. This vinyl comes in a very slick “fruit punch” color that really pops.
DMX — '... And Then There Was X'
Price: $32.99
The final stride in one of history’s greatest three-album runs, …And Then There Was X placed DMX amongst rap royalty the moment it landed, securing the rapper’s third consecutive No. 1 debut and five more platinum plaques from the RIAA. Anchored by his smash hit “Party Up (Up in Here)” and backed by extensive production from Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease, X’s third studio album is now available on vinyl for the first time since its original release, in a striking black Ice pressing.
LL Cool J – 'Mama Said Knock You Out'
Price: $25.98
Spending the ‘80s aiding hip-hop’s ascent to commercial viability, LL Cool J entered the next decade with clenched fists. Almost entirely produced by Marley Marl, the fourth studio album from the Queens pioneer reclaimed his spot amongst rap’s most celebrated figures, culminating in a double-platinum sales performance and his first Grammy win, edging out Queen Latifah, Monie Love, and MC Hammer for “Best Rap Solo Performance” in the second year of the category’s existence.
Public Enemy – 'Fear of a Black Planet'
Price: $27.98
By 1990, Public Enemy had already redrawn rap’s lines of demarcation twice over with their debut and sophomore albums. But the iconic Hempstead, Long Island group attained new visibility and unequivocal velocity when “Fight The Power” was created for inclusion in Spike Lee’s masterclass, Do The Right Thing. On Fear of A Black Planet, the irreverent anthem caps a dense, disruptive, and defiant project that has only grown more prescient in the years since its release.
