Rapper Asher Roth has joined Russell Simmons' newly-launched digital venture, All Def Music, an imprint that will sign, promote and develop YouTube artists.

Simmons, who co-founded Def Jam Records, has partnered with rap mogul Steve Rifkind and veteran entertainment producer Brian Robbins to create the label, which is being distributed by Universal Music Group.

The aim for All Def Music is to find great talent on YouTube and cultivate them the same way Simmons and Rifkind discovered music acts on Def Jam and Loud Records, respectively.

"How [Russell] built Def Jam and how I built Loud was through the streets and through grass-roots marketing," Rifkind told the Los Angeles Times. "Cut to 20 years later, we're applying this same formula, this same blueprint, using YouTube as our street team, using YouTube as our A&R source, using YouTube as our branding machine."

Asher Roth will produce his own unscripted television show called 'Lemonade' for All Def Music. In addition, YouTube star and comedian Spoken Reasons (born John A. Baker, Jr.) is also on the label.

"I look forward to working with the extraordinary talent from the vastly creative YouTube ecosystem in the same way I've worked with musicians, poets, comedians and designers all my life," said Simmons in a press release. "This is the most exciting new terrain for me, to move talent across all media platforms and I couldn't have better partners in Brian and Steve, and the most innovative of music executives, Lucian Grainge [of Universal Music Group]."

Rifkind, who signed Roth to his SRC label, is excited about his new journey in the music game.

"I wake up at 4:30 or 5 in the morning, ready to work," he said. "I haven't been this excited [in years]."

Watch Russell Simmons and Spoken Reasons Talk All Def Digital

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