Paul Rosenberg Stepping Down As CEO Of Def Jam

The news that Paul Rosenberg was taking over Steve Bartels’ position at Def Jam and becoming its CEO in August of 2017 was a surprise to many. At the time, he was best known for being Eminem’s manager and the Shady Records co-founder with no label experience in that sense, so the future was interesting.

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.

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Two and a half years on, here’s some news that’s just as surprising. Billboard are exclusively reporting that Paul will soon be stepping down as the CEO. The split is amicable and is supposedly due to Paul wanting to focus more on Goliath Artists, his talent firm. No word yet on the effects this may have and who will take over, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

UPDATE: Paul Rosenberg has confirmed the departure and released a statement on the development. “The experience I had running one of the greatest, most storied record companies of the modern era was incredible. I will remain forever grateful. I’ve learned a great deal, but one of the most important things I learned is that my ability to multi-task is not without limits. My new relationship with UMG gives me the ability to continue to sign and develop talent in a more focused and streamlined way, while still dedicating the time necessary to fulfill my management duties and foster the many entrepreneurial endeavors connected with Eminem,” Paul said.

UMG has also announced that Paul will be launching a new label venture with the group named Goliath Records. Jeff Harleston will serve as interim head of Def Jam until a successor to Rosenberg is appointed.

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Thank you for the opportunity to live out a dream. @defjam #Undisputed
A post shared by Paul Rosenberg (@rosenberg) on Feb 21, 2020 at 6:43pm PST