Universal Music Group has opened a new division of its Def Jam Recordings brand of labels in the city of Chengdu, in China, widely known as “the capital of Chinese hip-hop”.
The city of Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province has built a reputation for street culture, live performance, and creative communities, UMG said in a press release on Tuesday (January 20).
Universal Music Greater China named three local rappers, Xie Di, Yitai Wang, and Deng Dianguo, as special guest curators to scout and mentor new talent. Def Jam Recording China plans to focus on “Guofeng Hip-hop,” a style that blends Chinese language, cultural references and storytelling traditions.
To mark the launch, the new label has partnered with China Mobile-owned digital content platform Migu to discover talent, and create and distribute music. The companies will also collaborate on marketing, live performances and merchandise.
Migu Music, which was established in 2014, offers a catalog of over 40 million licensed tracks and serves more than 160 million users. The platform has recently positioned itself to become the “Home of Guofeng Music.”
“Through our collaboration with Universal Music China, Migu Music aims to develop a distinctive Guofeng hip-hop brand that blends international influence with China’s evolving youth culture.”
Zhu Hong, Migu Music
Zhu Hong, Chairman of Migu Music, said: “Guofeng has become a vital expression within China’s contemporary music landscape and an important driver of cultural innovation. Through our collaboration with Universal Music China, Migu Music aims to develop a distinctive Guofeng hip-hop brand that blends international influence with China’s evolving youth culture.”
“By leveraging global distribution, we seek to bring Guofeng music more broadly, while supporting Chengdu’s development as an international city of music and the global impact of Chinese music culture.”
“Launching Def Jam Recordings China reflects our long-term commitment to this market and our belief that Chinese hip-hop has a powerful role to play in the global evolution of the genre.”
Adam Granite, Universal Music Group
Adam Granite, Executive Vice President, Market Development, Universal Music Group, said: “China is one of the most important and dynamic music markets in the world today, with a new generation of artists shaping culture both locally and globally. Launching Def Jam Recordings China reflects our long-term commitment to this market and our belief that Chinese hip-hop has a powerful role to play in the global evolution of the genre.”
“Chengdu is a city where hip-hop culture has grown organically, supported by vibrant youth culture and strong creative community. By bringing Def Jam’s legacy and global network into China, we aim to create meaningful opportunities for local artists to connect with audiences worldwide.”
Def Jam was founded in 1984 in New York and has worked with artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West.
Tunji Balogun, Chairman & CEO, Def Jam Recordings, said: “Def Jam has always been built around dynamic voices — artists who speak directly from their own communities, languages, and lived realities. Def Jam Recordings China continues that tradition by putting local culture at the centre of the music.”
“The goal is not to copy what’s worked elsewhere, but to support Chinese artists in defining hip-hop on their own terms, in ways that feel authentic, contemporary, and culturally grounded.”
Tunji Balogun, Def Jam Recordings
“The goal is not to copy what’s worked elsewhere, but to support Chinese artists in defining hip-hop on their own terms, in ways that feel authentic, contemporary, and culturally grounded.”
Timothy Xu, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group Greater China, said: “We appreciate the support of the Chengdu government and our partner Migu. Def Jam Recordings China is designed as a platform that provides Chinese hip-hop artists with the tools, services, and global pathways they need to grow.”
“From creative development and production to marketing, distribution, and live performance, we want to support artists at every stage of their journey. Most importantly, we hope to help Chinese HipHop and urban music travel beyond China — reaching international audiences while staying true to its cultural roots.”
Def Jam Recordings China held its launch event at Eastern Suburb Memory, a cultural district in Chengdu that has converted industrial buildings into spaces for music and art. The event featured an exhibition on Def Jam’s four-decade history and drew artists, label founders, designers, and venue operators from China’s hip-hop community.
“we hope to help Chinese HipHop and urban music travel beyond China — reaching international audiences while staying true to its cultural roots.”
Timothy Xu, Universal Music Group Greater China
The launch marks the latest expansion for UMG in the Chinese market after signing a multi-year licensing agreement with NetEase Cloud Music earlier this week. The deal covers UMG’s full roster of international and Chinese artists across NetEase Cloud Music’s streaming platform and digital services in China.
Over the past year, Universal Music Greater China signed deals with superstar artist Nana Ouyang, Mandopop artist David Tao and his company GREAT Entertainment, and Liu Huan, renowned domestically as the “King of Chinese Pop”. UMG has also expanded its jazz and classical labels Blue Note and Deutsche Grammophon into the region.
For Def Jam, the Chengdu launch follows its entry in Sweden in September 2024, the launch of 0207 Def Jam in the UK in 2020, and the launch of Def Jam Africa in May 2020. Def Jam Africa has expanded into three markets within French-speaking Africa; Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Cameroon, in July that year.
In 2022, Universal also expanded the Def Jam brand into India and South Asia, with the launch of Def Jam India. That same year, Def Jam Recordings entered into an exclusive worldwide joint venture partnership with Lagos, Nigeria and UK-based NATIVE Records.
In April 2025, Def Jam appointed Tim Pithouse as its General Manager to oversee label operations. He’s now based at Def Jam’s New York headquarters.
Def Jam Recordings is now part of REPUBLIC Collective alongside Island Records, Mercury Records, and Republic Records following a restructuring of Universal Music Group’s US-based frontline labels in 2024.
Artists under the imprint’s roster include Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Alessia Cara, LL COOL J, and Muni Long, among others.
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