Def Jam has announced a new president, Joie Manda. Manda was a former Warner Bros. executive, and now he will be the label president for Def Jam. Previous Def Jam presidents includ Jay-Z, Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles.
Manda made a statment about his new position, saying,
"Running Def Jam is the greatest challenge of my career and I am appreciative to Barry Weiss for his faith in appointing me to this position. I’m excited to work alongside Steve Bartels, who is one of the most talented music execs in the business and who has played such an important role in building the IDJ team. 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."
Barry Weiss, the chairman & CEO of Universal Republic and Island Def Jam says,
"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. The entire Def Jam family looks forward to working closely with Joie as he puts his unique imprint on the next chapter in the label’s storied and successful history."
