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The speculation behind who would take over at Def Jam has officially ended, and it looks like the rumors were true. Former Warner Bros. EVP Joie Manda has been named as the storied record label’s newest president.

In his new gig, the industry vet will take over the post once held by Kevin Liles and Jay-Z. “Running Def Jam is the greatest challenge of my career,” said Manda in a statement to MTV News. Manda began his label career at Asylum Records in 2004, moving his way up the ladder to an executive position before heading over to Warner. He is responsible for bringing rappers like Common to Warner, championed a deal between the label and Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group, and has worked with the likes of Mike Jones, Gucci Mane, and Joe Budden, among others.

While Manda is used to being part of a winning team, his new label home finds him leading an impressive line-up of artists, including Kanye West, Rihanna  and 2 Chainz. Said Manda,  “The Def Jam artist roster has always been synonymous with the greatest in hip-hop, and I intend to carry that tradition into the future.”

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Photo: Joie Manda