Def Jam was the house that Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin built – straight out of their college dormitories in 1984.
And over the years, revered persons such as Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles have taken a seat in the president’s chair. However, ever since the end of Jay-Z’s tenure in 2007, and an unsuccessful campaigning effort by Irv Gotti earlier this year, that same president’s seat has remained vacant.
But that’s all about to change, as it’s just been announced that former Warner Brothers Recording Executive Joie Manda will step in as the new ‘commander in chief.’
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In addition to the announcement earlier today, Manda said:
“Running Def Jam is the greatest challenge of my career,” said Manda. “The Def Jam artist roster has always been synonymous with the greatest in hip-hop, and I intend to carry that tradition into the future.”
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Chairman and CEO of Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Barry Weiss added:
“As we look to expand Def Jam and our creative urban music activities even further, there is no one better to lead them than Joie. He has emerged as one of the most respected young executives in today’s urban music landscape, possessing all the qualifications and experience that are essential to run Def Jam, the world’s most important hip-hop destination.”
Congratulations and the best of luck to Joie Manda!
