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OBR

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Out of a desire to branch into R&B after the success of Oran "Juice" Jones, Russell Simmons developed Def Jam's first imprint to distinctify the two genres and keep Def Jam as a strictly Hip-Hop brand. Original Black Recordings (OBR) was launched in 1988 and featured previous Def Jam originals Oran "Juice" Jones and Alyson Williams, as well as Don Newkirk and other artists. Most of its input, however, went underground. The subsidiary folded in 1992 only to be reactivated in 1995 as Def Soul.