Island Def Jam names head of urban music

Vivendi’s Island Def Jam Music Group named Jermaine Dupri president of urban music, a new division.

Dupri, a producer and songwriter, will work on records for the Island Def Jam roster and help produce recordings for all of Vivendi’s Universal Music Group labels, Island Def Jam said. He will oversee all of Island’s urban music operations.

As a producer, Dupri has worked with such artists as Usher and Mariah Carey. He was head of urban music at Virgin Records America until last year.