In a surprise announcement earlier today, Joie Manda has resigned as Def Jam president to move back to Los Angeles. He will serve as president of Urban Music at Interscope Records.

“Despite having to move back to Los Angeles for personal reasons, I am truly grateful to Barry, John and Jimmy Iovine (chairman and CEO, Interscope Geffen A&M) for this exciting new opportunity," Manda said in a press release. "I've learned a lot from Barry in the last year and am very appreciative of everything he has done for me. I am now looking forward to being part of the Interscope family, a company uniquely positioned for success despite this challenging marketplace."

Barry Weiss, president and CEO of UMG’s East Coast Labels, and John Janick, president and COO of Interscope Geffen A&M made the official announcement. Since Manda is still under the Universal Music Group umbrella, he will report to Janick from now on.

"While we understand Joie’s personal reasons for wanting to move back to Los Angeles, we’re thankful for all of his contributions to Def Jam,” Weiss said. “We wish him success in his new role at our sister label.”

"Joie is an important part of the fabric of UMG, and I'm glad we were all able to work together to make this transition possible for him,” Janick said. “I've known Joie for some time and I've always been impressed by his work ethic and instincts. He's going to play a big role in the future of Interscope."

Before Manda joined Def Jam, he served as head of Urban Music for Warner Bro. Records. He was responsible for signing acts such as Common, Rick Ross, Waka Flocka Flame, Jill Scott and more. Earlier in his career, he started as WMG executive vice president of Asylum Records.

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