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Heads have been waiting in anticipation of the the massive coffee table book Def Jam: The First 25 Years Of The Last Great Record Label, written by Bill Adler and Dan Charnas, and published by Rizzoli.

EXCLUSIVE: Bill Adler Talks About Def Jam: The First 25 Years Of The Last Great Record Label

The book made its debut this week and will launch officially tomorrow in NYC. If you’re a GlobalGrind reader, it’s very probable you’ve entered our competition to cop tickets to the party. 

So what is this book about? It’s about hip-hop, it’s about making something out of nothing or using what you have in new, interesting and creative ways, it’s about Def Jam, the most important hip-hop record label of the latter quarter of the 20th century and beyond.

In addition to reading about how key figures Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin met, you will also lay your eyes on hundreds, if not thousands, of images that comprise Def Jam’s visual archive, images including pictures of Lyor Cohen smiling, and exquisite graphic design by legendary designer Cey Adams.

EXCLUSIVE: Cey Adams Talks Graphic Design & Def Jam 25 Book!

Here are some numbers we thought we’d run by you to whet your appetite if you aren’t salivating already.

312: the number of pages in the book.

6.2: book’s weight in pounds.

2’7″ X 1.3′ deep: dimensions of the book

135: number of years Rizzoli books has to its name.

17: Age LL Cool J signed up with Def Jam

5: the number of pictures of Lyor Cohen smiling.

We kid on the last one, Lyor never smiles.

Check out some images from the book in the gallery above and head over to Amazon to order your copy.

More images after the break! Above: Russell Simmons at his desk at Def Jam!

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LL Cool J Promo from 1987.

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Rick Rubin & The Beastie Boys Circa 1986.