Def Jam Recordings now has a representative on campus.
Vanessa Kidd, 20, is UNM's first college representative for Def Jam Recordings. She stumbled on the job last April, when she was a resident adviser at UNM.
Def Jam Recordings was started in 1984 by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and producer Rick Rubin. One of the first mainstream hip-hop labels, Def Jam brought fame to artists like LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Public Enemy and Jay-Z. Now the label's roster boasts Ludacris, Ja Rule and Kanye West, among others.
"Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin started Def Jam out of a college dorm," Kidd said. "It's nice to know they still reach back and try to help other people."
A director for Def Jam's college promotions in New York called UNM and wanted to bring rap group Young Gunz to the Student Resident Center for a meet and greet.
"It was two days prior to the event, which would be held on Easter Sunday," Kidd said. "They told me, 'If you get people to come to this event, we will offer you a position of college representative.'"
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Kidd jumped at the chance, even though it was a tight deadline.
"I said, 'OK, let's get this rolling,'" she said.
Kidd said she successfully pulled off the event and got to meet Young Gunz. She was offered the position of college representative, an unpaid internship.
"I am the point person between UNM and Def Jam-New York," she said. "If they want to bring a college tour here, they would contact me."
This summer she worked on a tour to bring LL Cool J and other artists to UNM during Homecoming week. Artists dropped off the tour before anything was finalized.
Kidd is also in charge of listening parties. She gets promotional items when new CDs come out. She hosts parties, then she sends out reviews so people know how UNM rated the Def Jam artist.
Kidd said getting talented local artists signed with Def Jam might be a bit more difficult. Although she can't just hand over a demo tape to an executive, there are certain ways she could get artists heard.
"I would probably have more pull for them opening for a Def Jam act that was coming here and then letting them meet a regional representative," she said.
Kidd has a lot on her plate right now - she is also Miss Black UNM - but she said is hoping to merge her duties.
"In February, we are having a Mr. and Ms. Black UNM ceremony," she said. "I was hoping we could have some type of entertainment. I was thinking we could have Kanye West."
She was a fan of Def Jam artists long before she was given the position.
"I love Method Man to death," she said. "And I have always loved LL Cool J."
Kidd is getting a degree in advertising and will attend graduate school for business. She said she loves the benefits of her job, which include making great contacts, meeting artists, and getting VIP tickets to shows. She said she is lucky to have her foot in the door at such a young age.
She said it is a great opportunity to promote New Mexico and put UNM on the map.
"It tells artists, 'Don't go to Texas and then skip over us,'" she said. "'You have a lot of fans here, so utilize us.'"
