Def Jam Scores 13 RIAA Awards In Just One Day

Record Setting Day

Congratulations to all at DEF JAM RECORDINGS who racked up 13 RIAA Awards in just one day.

FORBES reports, "Only five went to rap singles. BIG SEAN's "Bounce Back" and YG's "Left, Right" respectively garnered Gold awards, while DESIIGNER's "Tiimmy Turner" went Platinum and IGGY AZALEA's "Black Widow" leapt to quadruple-Platinum. A blast from the past, WARREN G and NATE DOGG's 1994 smash "Regulate," achieved double-Platinum status, its first new award in more than two decades. The remaining six digital single sales awards went to artists operating in the pop, electronic and R&B worlds, indicative of changes enacted in recent years under DEF JAM's parent company UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP. Following an internal restructuring in 2014, the label subtly shifted from its storied origins as a game-changing hip-hop record label to one with a broader remit outside of the genre.

The rest of the awards went to ALESSIA CARA's "Scars To Your Beautiful," which officially went Platinum last FRIDAY, while JUSTIN BIEBER received Gold and quadruple-Platinum certifications respectively for older singles "Hold Tight" and "As Long As You Love Me." (Despite being originally released through UMG's Island, the latter two are retroactively credited to DEF JAM by the RIAA.)

"BIEBER earned yet another award on FRIDAY," notes FORBES, "albeit one shared with dance-pop act MAJOR LAZER and singer MØ. Having peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 this past summer, their collective hit 'Cold Water' scored triple-Platinum status. Though not as ubiquitous a hit, EDM producer AFROJACK's 2014 single 'Ten Feet Tall' achieved Gold certification. Following a fruitful 2016 defined by back-to-back album releases, R&B artist FRANK OCEAN saw certifications for three cuts off of his 'Channel Orange,' with a Platinum award for 'Novacane' and Gold for 'Lost' and 'Pyramids.' Unlike its recent forays into pop and dance, DEF JAM has put out a number of releases in the R&B genre throughout its existence, even operating a DEF SOUL sublabel for a period in the 2000s."

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