Numerous sources tell Variety that Tunji Balogun, RCA’s executive vice president of A&R, is moving to Def Jam Records to serve as its CEO.
Balogun was involved in signing Khalid, Brockhampton, Normani (via Syco), and Bryson Tiller to RCA, which he joined in 2015 after seven-and-a-half years at Interscope. Along with Courtney Stewart, Jon Tanners, and Jared Sherman, Balogun co-founded Keep Cool in 2018 as a joint venture with RCA. In the same year, he was promoted to Executive Vice President
The interim chairman and CEO of Def Jam was Jeffrey Harleston, also Universal Music Group’s general counsel and executive vice president of business and legal affairs.
After Nicki Farag was named executive vice president and general manager of Def Jam, Balogun was hired to fill that role.
