Following its unprecedented 49 Grammy Award nominations, The Island Def Jam Music Group continues its winning momentum this week with four records in the Top 10 of the nation’s Top Albums chart (source: Soundscan).
Propelling this success were the multiplatinum releases from Ludacris (Word of Mouf; no.4), Nickelback (Silver Side Up, no.5), Ja Rule (Pain Is Love; no.6) and the hit soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou (no.10). The Island Def Jam Music Group also scored thirteen albums in the Top 100 with releases from seminal hip-hop artist JAY-Z (MTV Unplugged), alternative rockers Hoobastank (Hoobastank), country icon Willie Nelson (Great Divide), the soundtrack to the hit comedy movie How High (feat. Redman and Method Man), and the all-star compilation The Source Presents Hip Hop Hits, Volume 5, among many others.
The Island Def Jam Music Group’s consistent performance since its inception three years ago has been built solidly on the success of its diverse roster of talent, which encompasses a wide range of musical styles from rap to rock, and R&B to country. The label’s commitment to its artists and a culturally forward approach to development is clearly evident with the recent multiplatinum and gold releases from Memphis Bleek, Musiq Soulchild, Hoobastank, Kelly Price, Redman, Method Man, Sisqo, Slipknot, Sum 41, Saliva, American Hi-Fi, Bon Jovi and Grammy Award-winner Shelby Lynne.
Most recently, The Island Def Jam Music Group received a whopping 49 Grammy Award nominations in a wide array of categories, including the coveted Album of the Year (O Brother, Where Art Thou?); Best Rap Album (Ja Rule’s Pain Is Love, Jay Z’s The Blueprint, Ludacris’ Back for the First Time); Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (Lucinda Williams’ “Essence”); Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (Melissa Etheridge’s “I Want To Be In Love,” PJ Harvey’s “This Is Love,” Lucinda Williams’ “Get Right With God”); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (Case’s “Missing You,” Musiq’s “Love”); Best Rock Album (Ryan Adams’ Gold, PJ Harvey’s Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea); Best Metal Performance (Slayer’s “Disciple,” Slipknot’s “Left Behind”); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (Ryan Adams’ “New York, New York”); Best Hard Rock Performance (Saliva’s “Your Disease”); and Best Dance Recording (Lionel Richie’s “Angel”), among others.
