Nigeria’s Tunji Balogun To Head Def Jam As New CEO

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Nigerian-born American record label executive Tunji Balogun is on his way to multinational record label Def Jam Records as its next Chief Executive Officer.

According to report by Variety quoting multiple sources, Balogun is leaving his current position as RCA’s Executive Vice President of A&R to head Def Jam Records as CEO.

His hiring comes on the heels of Def Jam naming promotion veteran Nicki Farag as executive vice president and general manager.

Also joining the Def Jam team is rapper Snoop Dogg, who serves as executive creative and strategic consultant as announced in June.

At RCA, which Balogun joined in 2015 following seven-and-a-half years at Interscope, the A&R exec was involved in signing Khalid, Brockhampton, Normani (via Syco) and Bryson Tiller.

In 2018, Balogun co-founded the label Keep Cool, a joint venture with RCA, alongside Courtney Stewart, Jon Tanners and Jared Sherman. He was elevated to EVP that same year.

Def Jam had been run by interim Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Harleston, who also serves as general counsel and executive VP of business and legal affairs at Universal Music Group.

Balogun started his career as an intern in Warner Brothers Records and successfully grew in his craft, including as his position as executive vice president for RCA Records.

On Monday, Variety reported that Balogun will head Def Jam Records, a 35-year-old American music record label mainly focused on the creation and dissemination of hip hop, pop, and urban music.

He will replace Eminem’s prominent manager Paul Rosenberg.

The label has successfully signed a lot of remarkable artists like Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Kanye West and Rihanna.