All Articles Tagged "island def jam"
Are Big Music Labels Obsolete?
(Rolling Out) — Island Def Jam/Motown record labels appear to be suffering from the economic downturn. Hip-hop’s most legendary record label laid off 20 employees. The most shocking layoffs were of renowned executives Jonathan McHugh and Chris Hicks. Record labels are going through an adjustment after the industry failed to keep up with technological advances. File sharing and record leaks have put a dent in record sales for the past 10 years. In turn, the average new artist will not receive a multimillion dollar advance and the executives who help to guide the careers of musicians lack the job security of past decades.
New Head of Motown to Share Resources With Island Def Jam
(EUR Web)– When the planned installation of Ethiopia Habtemariam as the head of Motown Records finally occurs, the label will move out of the Universal orbit and instead share resources with the Island Def Jam Group, sources tell Billboard.biz. Habtemariam, head of urban music/ senior VP of creative services at the Universal Music Publishing Group, is still working out the details of her new contract, sources say. When the deal is done, she will report to Barry Weiss, chairman & CEO of Island Def Jam and Universal Republic Groups.
LA Reid Leaves Island Def Jam
(Eurweb.com) — After seven years of cultivating the careers of Island Def Jam superstars like Rihanna, Kanye West, and Justin Bieber, Island Def Jam Chairman LA Reid resigned this morning, reports EW.com. In a letter to his staff, Reid explains that he’s “always thrived on growth and the next great challenge, and I look forward with much enthusiasm to what the future holds.”
