It just dawned on you, right? Despite all the gripe, Def Jam is still the most powerful hip-hop label around. Hov's album will be ready to join the turkey and mashed potatoes in your shopping cart around Thanksgiving. Jeezy's album before the album, I Am The Street Dream, hits the streets a week before that. Then comes the album proper, same Tuesday as Ghost's straigh-outta-nowhere sequel to Fishscale, More Fish. It gets better. Three PR machines are hard at work to help Esco stay ahead of the in-house competition. In short, here's how L.A. Reid and The Carter Administration plan on making sure that no other label sells this quarter:

Def Jam Release Schedule (Fourth Quarter)

• Jay-Z - Kingdom Come - November 21


• Young Jeezy - The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102 - December 12


• Ghostface Killah - More Fish - December 12


• Bobby Valentino - Special Occasion - December 12


• DJ Clue - The Professional Part 3 - December 19


• NaS - Hip-Hop Is Dead? - December 19


• Fabolous - From Nothin' to Somethin' - December 26