Island Def Jam Folds; Barry Weiss Steps Down

Weiss Decision?

Universal Music Group has announced that they have dissolved Island Def Jam. CEO Barry Weiss has also stepped down. Going forward, Motown Records, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings will operate as separate entities. Says UMG’s CEO, Lucian Grainge:

At UMG, our labels are empowered to be entrepreneurial and take creative risks. By re-establishing Def Jam, Island and Motown as standalone labels within the UMG family, we’re positioning them to recapture the uniqueness of their brands and serve artists with the singularity of vision, focus and creativity that was at the core of their original success.”

In addition,  Def Jam has appointed No I.D. and Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua as executive VPs and co-heads of A&R.

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  1. rockiefresh says:

    SMH YOU HAD TO USE A PIC WITH OFFICER RICKY

  2. Belize says:

    The house that Officer Ricky raided…you know, regular policiashyt

  3. MannyThoughts says:

    Who knows if this is true (April fools day) but if it was, that would be ridiculously terrible. Island Def Jam was a sinking ship anyway

  4. MMG Suede says:

    The same guys that signed Trinidad James, Lil Reese and them just cos off internet buzz?? Labels are so dumb. Capitol Records just signed them 3 hoodrats that made Boss Ass Bitch just cos of their famous vines!? ARE YOU SERIOUS PEOPLE. Fxck these labels they so confused hope they all go broke. But MMG still sellin that street ok kool thanks bye

    1. Get Moneynigga says:

      Exactly I’m glad these rich selfish muthafuckas going broke.These record execs. have helped destroy mainstream hip hop.Chief Keef,Trinidad James and that white girl who got a million dollar deal,I forgot that bitch name and I’m not going to google it but you get the picture,well all those signing’s have heped fuck up hip hop.

      1. MMG Suede says:

        Wouldn’t say the labels fxcked up Hip Hop cos people gravitated to those names way before the labels did which makes them the idiots but we only have ourselves and clubs to blame for whats happened to this genre bro

        1. LuckyP says:

          true. and the overall fact that these german, british etc crackers could care less about the CULTURE! them and these old ass niggas in the offices who refuse to get the fuck up out the way for young niggas who know whats really going on out here. from the music to new innovative ways to get the music to the people.

          1. black idiot images says:

            Its not a culture, you’ve just been brainwashed to believe it is. Weiss made his money from your destruction and left.

          2. LuckyP says:

            eat a dick fuckboy

    2. shit happens says:

      ross is one of the reasons def jam in a whole. marketing promoting putting out fires damage limitation buying his records triples c’s…. all cost millions and millions to def jam. dude does 150,000 every album and his shows are small and never sell out proper. atlantic and warner stopped promoting mmg heavy aswell. shit costing way to much in return of low record sales. mmg been reduced to a promotion company. twitter instagram and mixtapes.

      1. MMG Suede says:

        lol are you fxcken mad!?? Ross probably helped keep em’ afloat. Tell me apart from Jay Z what other street rapper is selling like Ross regardless if he’s real. Also what heavy promotion Ross has always used an inhouse director for vids while Birdman pays 1mill for vids. He usually just travels round the country for radio and does Chelsea Lately etc so what heavy promotion has Ross ever had!??? and Atlantic folded, Warner have no way stopped promoting MMG. You see the work they puttin in for Stalley and Rockie!??. and low record sales. Ross did 218,000 first week last album and 190,000 first week this album + he probs the only one left getting GOLD albums about Twitter and Instagram ahhahahaah dude you salty love your life everything is ok

        1. just music chill says:

          jeezy last album did 205,000 1st week. T.I last album did 160,000 last album. schoolboy q just did 160,000 1st week.
          just a few street rappers that are doing same numbers. mastermind did 179,000 soundscan final.
          lets not act like ross dont get heavy promo.more than most other rappers of his level. somebody funding dude.cmon dude got lyor cohen managing him dog. got jayz and puff in his corner heavy. all 3 of them heavyhitters in the game have mad connects that help ross’s career. dunno about rockie and stalley as you say. been on mmg for couple of yrs have they had a album out? cant remember? outside of wale anybody besides ross had a album out on the roster in last 18 mths?

          1. Anti-Hero says:

            If you’re gonna use numbers you should get your numbers right. TM103 sold 233,000 first week,

          2. tipp_-0183 aka Dwight Stewart says:

            Stalley dropped an EP Album last year. With that said, who the fuck cares!? whether they win or lose it doesn’t do shit for our lives… its only entertainment. If it fades we’ll find something else to entertain us in a couple days. Record labels are irrelevant in the internet/youtube age.

          3. MMG Suede says:

            TI not on DefJam and thats bad numbers for someone like TIP. Schoolboy not on DefJam and Jeezy aint been given a release date in years but he the man and what heavy promotion !?? you cant name this heavy promotion is the issue and what if Jay and Diddy really just fck with dude and see his vision?? For Jay to have Ross and Nas the only rappers on his album must mean something for their relationship and I think Diddy just wants Ross to be his Biggie. As For other MMG members the market is tough for everyone and those two only got signed like a year ago so give em a chance will you ?

          4. 85 says:

            Aye u might wanna check and compare Ross and t.I. record sales! Ross not on his level sorry. Tip has went platinum on all his albums except im serious and no mercy(gold) and troubleman will go gold actually its already gold paper trail 3 million in the usa king 2 million in the usa. Ross has never went platinum

          5. MMG Suede says:

            Did I not jusr say thats bad numbers for TIP meaning his too big to be doing them numbers so VOID

          6. georgio says:

            just meek mill album. and 3 compilation albums. and ti isn’t on def jam and neither is schoolboy q. and lets be real. ti or schoolboy q albums aren’t going gold. and don’t sell more than ross

        2. Blizeee says:

          LOL at bird man paying 1Mil for Videos. I like how you Outsiders try and talk like Insiders.

          That shit funny B

      2. Epul says:

        This guy said Ross shows are small and never sellout. It’s obvious you don’t get out much.

        1. LuckyP says:

          fam, these trolls say anything regardless of how outlandish it is. if ross aint one of the biggest acts on DJ i don’t know who the fuck is

          1. Epul says:

            I came to realize a lot of these weirdos are from foreign countries and just like to argue to be apart of something. They have no clue what goes on over here all they know is what’s popping on the internet.

        2. Anti-Hero says:

          look at his last tour, his shows are small he’s playing clubs and theaters not arenas or stadiums.

          he had to cancel his last tour due to poor ticket sales and gang threats.

          1. LuckyP says:

            WHO IS selling out arenas alone besides JAY?!? even kanye has had a few issues packing certain venues out so this shit you’re talking is beyond irrelevant

          2. MMG Suede says:

            Even Miley Cyrus who is talk of the whole decade had trouble sellin a few shows chill out man

      3. realtalk says:

        lol @ that. your just a hater. yg is on def jam he sold 60k. 2chainz. fabulous,big krit,pusha t, teyana tailor,bigsean,frank ocean,lil reese, Trinidad james,nas,qtip,.Ludacris. juelz Santana. all are on def jam and sell way less than ross. only people selling on def jam is ross kanye n jeezy

  5. TheTruth says:

    Labels are finished …

  6. poetic assasin says:

    every other month someone is being appointed a position at Def Jam but I still don’t see or hear anything great from their artists.

  7. el jim chapo guzman says:

    B.Dot Strikes again, out all the fucking pictures of berry weiss you got in your hard drive, you had to pick this one..

  8. Jon Long says:

    Recent Def jam albums all 500k+: last jay-z (physical release platinum), kanye, nas, big Sean, rihanna, jeezy, ludacris, Ross, etc. They also still have roots, jadakiss, fabulous, q tip, big Boi, 2 chainz, jerimih, frank ocean, pusha t, n more on the roster.

    1. Anti-Hero says:

      Nas Life is Good and Big Sean never sold more than 500k,

  9. GreenBergs says:

    when you have to put hip hop in your name as a nickname, that means you are absolutely the furthest thing from being “hip hop” and you probably have zero relevance to the culture..

    1. 340 says:

      Do your research on dude if your referring to the dude name Hip Hop he help build that Roc A Fella dynasty.

      1. GreenBergs says:

        na im just saying this is the case most of the time, not necessarily this one..btw that doesn’t mean a damn thing the rocafella “dynasty” is dead..so that aint saying much right now

        1. c'mon son says:

          TF are you talkin about? Rocafellas history doesnt aint saying much? c’mon bro…I dont comment in these things typically but you talkin outlandish like you really might know what you saying. You need to google the cats you sleepin on. Rihanna, jay-z, jeezy, ross all became who they are because of the ninjas that aint sayin much… meek, wale, rita ora, ect are all managed by the cats that aint sayin much… so the truth is you aint sayin much.

          1. GreenBergs says:

            That is “roc nation” homie he was referring to ” rocafella” the “dynasty”…big big difference, especially since roc nation focuses on managing these cats..with years seperating the two..damn I seen a big paragraph and thought u had something smart to say but apparently you the one that ain’t saying much..

          2. rickyunos says:

            Check Hiphop stats..way way more than rocafella..rocafella is jus where he got his start..his list is beyond crazy..real talk..that’s Biggs brother!

    2. still dumb says:

      Its not a culture, you’ve just been brainwashed to believe it is.

      1. GreenBergs says:

        Lmfao if hip hop isn’t a culture I don’t know what is my friend, there isn’t much honor left in this culture anymore so I see what your point is..

  10. MEDULLA_OBLONGATA says:

    Looks like Rozay has been losing weight lately.

  11. TheEND says:

    the beginning of the end. MAJORS are FINITO. believe it. *puts on headphone and blasts underground hot shit as loud as humanly possible.*

    1. B.Dot says:

      MAjor labels aint going nowhere…this actually sucks because some people are losing their jobs.

  12. Black Shady says:

    UMG obviously has no clue what to do. Standalone? Lmao. Def jam/ island/Motown = all the same = universal don’t have the answers. #NOLABEL
    “Oh don’t make me laugh”

  13. Russ says:

    I used to Street Team for Def Jam and I’ve told many people that Def Jam has cut it’s core. When you cut the core of a business, it loses its value as well as it doesn’t operate accordingly. Plus, we still live in a physical world. EVERYTHING isn’t digital. The day that EVERYTHING is digital, we as people will not exist.

  14. polopolo1 says:

    Hmmm so i see some people saying this is this is the beginning of labels dissolving, I mean if that happens do u think new artists well function by themselves or is the world gonna be signed to jay z Kanye birdman ross etc what y’all think?

  15. Fresh360 says:

    It’s just musical chairs at these labels…

  16. GreenBergs says:

    Bad news for august “alsalina”

  17. tipp_-0183 aka Dwight Stewart says:

    Record labels are irrelevant in the internet/youtube age.

  18. Strong Enough says:

    slave masters

  19. Zan says:

    Thats not Barry Weiss in the photo

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