The man who was the successor to Jay-Z over at Def Jam, executive vice president Shakir Stewart committed suicide today (Nov. 1) in Marietta, GA, a suburb outside of Atlanta according to sources. Shakir was discovered in his apartment around 4pm with a self-inflicted gunshot would to the head. Upon medical arrival, he was taken to Kennestone Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Stewart succeeded Jay-Z at the top of the Def Jam ladder in June and also retained his duties as senior VP of A&R at Island Def Jam. The Oakland, Calif., native signed such artists as Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and newcomer Karina Pasian. Stewart cut his teeth as a music executive at Hitco Music Publishing, where he was creative director and later senior VP of creative/GM and signed Beyonce Knowles.
Even before he gained a rep for promoting rap concerts during his Morehouse College days, Stewart was "the guy who was the head of passing out fliers at seven clubs a night, seven days a week in 20-degree weather," he told Billboard magazine in an interview he did this summer. 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."
Say a prayer ya'll! We are surely in the last days... there is just too much going on right now!
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