The man that replaced Jay-Z at the helm of Def Jam has reportedly killed himself. Shakir Stewart, who signed such artists as Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Chrisette Michelle, is said to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Further details were not available at press time. A native of Oakland, California, Stewart was appointed executive vice president in June, which he called his dream job. A graduate of Atlanta’s Morehouse College, he previously worked at Hitco Music Publishing, to which he signed Beyoncé, according to Billboard.com. He was an A&R consultant at LaFace Records from 2000 to 2004 and signed Ciara to the label. He recently signed up-and-coming artists Rocko and Karina Pasian to Def Jam. Stewart succeeded Jay-Z for the presidential spot at Def Jam in June and also retained his duties as senior VP of A&R. Stewart said at the time it was his goal to help develop “new, young executives … The hot executive who’s 21, 22 years old and has a serious passion for music and the desire to work 27 hours a day. That’s where I was at that time in my life. And that’s who I’m looking to mentor. I don’t see many people like that. Instead, I see a lot of kids who want to live the lifestyle but don’t want to put in the work and do what it takes.” Stay tuned as details developâ¦
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