Shakir Stewart, Def Jam Exec and Morehouse Grad, Dead at 34

Shakir Stewart was only thirty-four, a bright young powerhouse VP at Def Jam. Noted for helping to develop the Atlanta music scene, Stewart attended Morehouse College. Before assuming the VP position at Def Jam, he worked for LaFace Records and Hitco Music Publishing, where he made a name for himself as an assiduous worker responsible for signing acts like Beyonce, Ciara, and Young Jeezy.

The Guardian reports:

Shakir Stewart, executive vice president of Def Jam and one of the most powerful figures in hip-hop, died this weekend in an apparent suicide. Police reported that the man who signed Beyoncé was found in his bathroom at around 4pm on Saturday, suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to Atlanta's Kennestone Hospital where he died later that day.

 

Though further details have not been released, Def Jam confirmed Stewart's death in a statement yesterday.

"[Def Jam chairman] LA Reid and all of us at Island Def Jam Music Group are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Shakir Stewart," the statement said. "Shakir was an amazing man in every sense of the word. A truly incredible friend and father who was an inspiration to not only our artists and employees, but to his family and the many people that had the privilege of counting him as a friend. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time."

Stewart had only recently taken over at the label, succeeding Jay-Z after the rapper's departure in June. Stewart at the time called it his "dream job".

Stewart will be sadly missed. Yesterday his fiancee, Michelle Rivers, released a joint statement with Stewart’s family saying, "We would like to thank Shakir's friends for the tremendous outpouring of love and support we have received during this difficult time," the statement reads. "It has helped us to cope with our overwhelming grief and sadness. It is difficult to express or explain in words what led to the tragic occurrence on Saturday. Over the past several weeks, Shakir's behavior was inconsistent with the man we all know and love. As much as we all tried to help him, Shakir was in deep pain and largely suffering in silence. Please remember Shakir for who he was ... a wonderful father, partner, son and friend."