After making the announcement that Paul Rosenberg would be stepping in as Def Jam's new CEO (effective on January 1st, 2018), the iconic company has filled another key position. Steven Victor, who has worked as a well-respected manager and A&R executive, will be officially stepping in as Vice President and Head of A&R. Victor's new positions will be effective immediately, and play a key role in cultivating Def Jam's future creative directions. Victor is a great candidate for the role, having worked as Chief Operating Officer of G.O.O.D Music, heading William Victor Management, and serving as senior Vice President and A&R of Universal Music Group.
Victor will report directly to Paul, once Rosenberg's position is officially active, and the pair of them will operate out of Def Jam's New York office. In a press release, Victor made a statement about his new position, which you can read here:
“I’ve worked within the Def Jam family for years and am honored to be part of the new leadership driving the future success of this iconic label. I’m genuinely excited to continue Russell and Rick’s legacy of discovering and developing new artists while creating new opportunities for our incredible talent. I’d like to thank Lucian and Paul for trusting me with this task and look forward to working with the A&R and management teams at Def Jam.”
The new faces of Def Jam should serve to reinvigorate the label, and it's exciting to see what Rosenberg and Victor will cook up in 2018. For some context, Victor was the one who "signed, developed, and helped break" Desiigner, and worked with Jadakiss, Nelly Furtado, and Clipse. Victor also worked closely with Pusha T and Dream, acting as their managers. Congrats to Steven Victor on the new job!