Def Jam is 30 years old this year. Yes, 30. Rolling Stone sat down with co-founder Rick Rubin, returning to the very dorm room in which he started the label 30 years ago, to discuss how Def Jam began.

For more on the historic record label, check out Russell Simmons’ (co-founder with Rubin) book Life and Def or The Men Behind Def Jam by Alex Ogg. Both are great reads.