Shakir Stewart, Jay-Z's Successor At Def Jam, Suicides

ATLANTA — The executive who succeeded Jay-Z as the head of hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound near Atlanta, police said Sunday.

Executive vice president Shakir Stewart, 34, died on Saturday, his New York-based label said in a statement.

Stewart was found Saturday afternoon in the bathroom of his home in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Cobb County police spokeswoman Cassie Reece said Sunday. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Police described the shooting as self-inflicted and would not say who discovered Stewart.

The record label issued a statement Sunday on behalf of Stewart's fiancee, Michelle Rivers, and his family.

"Over the past several weeks, Shakir's behavior was inconsistent with the man we all know and love," the statement said. "As much as we all tried to help him, Shakir was in deep pain and largely suffering in silence."

Stewart signed such artists as Rick Ross and Young Jeezy to the label before being named in June to the post once filled by Jay-Z.

The Oakland, Calif., native came to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College, where he graduated in 1996, his label said in an announcement for his promotion in June.

He previously worked with the Hitco publishing company, where he signed R&B star Beyonce, and Arista Records, where he signed R&B star Ciara.

Christopher Hicks, a friend of 18 years and fellow music executive, last spoke with Stewart about a week ago.

"Whatever happened over the past 24 hours is not a testament to who we all know," Hicks told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday. "He was a one-of-a-kind individual. If you looked on his Blackberry (stamp) it said 'One of one.'"

Def Jam called Stewart "a truly incredible friend and father who was an inspiration to not only our artists and employees, but to his family and the many people who had the privilege of counting him as a friend."

___

Def Jam Recordings: http://www.defjam.com/

Comments

[fcsakes]

Depression crosses every line - having everything that everyone else in the world thinks you should be happy with only shows the lack of understanding prevalent in our society about this terminal illness.

It grips you by the throat whether you are wearing diamonds or sleeping in a cardboard box - there ain't no dressing it up.

Condolences to family and friends.

[BlackMagicWoman]

RIP my brother.

[mjrovito]

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[LeftLeanWing]

This is a Great Blog......

You've earned a bookmark..

But you are spamming it a bit; so I can't give you an "I'm a Fan of"

[YouDisgustMe]

i'm dumbfounded....he seems to have had a good life...RIP

[harriettubman]

Brothers don't normally commit suicide so something must've really been bad in his life.

[pgurlatl]

See that is a falsehood. Blacks deal with stress and hypertension and depression. In many cases we kill ourselves slowly with food and liquor. In other cases it is through violent means.

We laugh at the idea of seeing a therapist and refuse to discuss what pains us. It's very, very sad.

[BigGuy]

The nonsense phrase among middle-class Jews in blue collar suburbs and working class Jews in Brooklyn and the Bronx used to be that "anybody who wants to see a psychiatrist needs to have their head examined" and that's the attitude in most of the solidly middle-class Black neighborhoods where Jews used to be, like Jamaica and Bed-Stuy. Someone who's seriously depressed who's been around for awhile will be gently approached by his friends or his reverend, but if he's very successful, no one may bring it up.

Someone who's depressed and very poor may be better served by our society than someone very successful and wealthy who keeps his depression to himself. That's because a very depressed and very poor person gets in the way of the powers that be when they lie down on the sidewalk or in the subway car or drink themselves to unconsciousness in a public park; the police are obligated under law (and humanity) to bring the bum to a hospital, or mental hospital. A rich man will be left to suffer in peace.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Oh, the education of depression and bipolar disease....Now I feel like doing an article on this, to help the masses understand depression is not a color disease but a human one.

[ejackson21st]

I think you are right Adrienne. Although the public knows a whole lot more today than they did 10 years ago, I see from these posts that many people don't yet know the seriousness of clinical depression and bipolar disorder.

I am a Black Man who has been very successful all my life and had a strong positive mental attitude. I was every one else's role model of physical and mental health. I knew nothing about Depression and had never heard the word "bipolar" My case is not the norm, but one morning, I went to work and all was fine. That was the last day I have worked in nearly ten years. During that night my brain chemicals went haywire. I was on suicide watch for nearly 3 years. I have been in constant therapy and have taken every type of mental health medications. My depression was/is resistant to meds so I am in my 10th year of just trying to make it through the day.

Let there be no mistake about this: Severe Depression is by far, the worst pain a human can suffer and live to tell about it. Sadly, many don't live to tell about it. Every year, more people die from suicide in the US than die from murder. Nearly 35,000 kill themselves each year (nearly 500,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to suicide attempts each year). The Surgeon General has said that 95% of all suicides are related to depression.

[ejackson21st]

It is hard for me to figure out how I survived this long. The one thing I can point to is that my closest friends and a few of my long time business associates immediately realized I was going through a serious illness, not just some everyday sadness or depressed feelings. They opened their minds and learned about the illness and they did what they could to support me and not judge me. There is no doubt in their minds today that Depression is a REAL physical and mental and potentially FATAL disease.

It's serious folks. Please get help as soon as you even think that you may be losing control of your life as you once knew it. You may think it won't happen to you, but....

[ejackson21st]

I am a Black Man who has been very successful all my life and had a strong positive mental attitude. I was every one else's role model of physical and mental health. I knew nothing about Depression and had never heard the word "bipolar" My case is not the norm, but one morning, I went to work and all was fine. That was the last day I have worked in nearly ten years. During that night my brain chemicals went haywire. I was on suicide watch for nearly 3 years. I have been in constant therapy and have taken every type of mental health medications. My depression was/is resistant to meds so I am in my 10th year of just trying to make it through the day.

Let there be no mistake about this: Severe Depression is by far, the worst pain a human can suffer and live to tell about it. Sadly, many don't live to tell about it. Every year, more people die from suicide in the US than die from murder. Nearly 35,000 kill themselves each year (nearly 500,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to suicide attempts each year). The Surgeon General has said that 95% of all suicides are related to depression.

[newpotusplease]

on Nov 5th or 6th, when you need another cause to work for please consider

a food bank donation drive
or something like
running a one warm coat drive at work or at your school or ...

info here:
http://onewarmcoat.org/index.php

cause the winter season is going to be rough for a lot of folks
MAYBE DO IT IN HONOR OF A LIFE

[hilaritee]

try showing this poor troubled deceased man some respect....your post is completely inappropriate!

[newpotusplease]

NOPE-
HE WOULD HAVE WANTED PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER

YOU DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF HIS DEATH --SO TALK ON WHAT YOU KNOW

YOU ARE INAPPROPRIATE

[goodtomeetyou]

Thanks for the post, life must go on and it's good to remember those among us who are still suffering or just need a little help in hard times.

Rest in peace Shakir.

[Anonani]

A permanent solution to a temporary problem. I pray that each of us takes the time to care enough to be pay attention to our friends and acquaintances. There are a lot of people scared, suffering, lonely, and heartbroken for one reason or another. The simple of act of caring and listening make make all of the difference in the world.

[Womanvoter4Obama]

This is very sad. May God rest his soul and soothe those left behind. As a person who has experienced the suicide of a family member (Brother in law) depression in black men is largely ignored. I hope he found peace.

[robXdion]

Any sliver of humanity in black men is largely ignored.

[walk0nwalls]

Too young

[SeanBreaux]

I knew Shakir in elementary and high school. He was a VERY positive, happy, and bright person back then. RIP with God, till we see you again on the other side.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Depression strikes teens to adult life. He might have been happy than.. but depression, sometimes you can't see it. It can be hidden.

[NewNew]

Sean - I know you from law school :) - I knew Shakir through a mutual friend for the last several years. He was a LIGHT like few people I've ever met. It is devastating to hear this news. I remember last seeing him this summer and he was his usual, generous, happy, powerful self. That is truly how I will remember him. Prayers for his family and friends, tragic loss.
T

[retiredPhDMD]

Tragic.

[MsDebate]

Rest In Peace Shakir, I can't begin to know what was really going on in your life. May God Bless your family with the uncertainty surrounding your death.

[FaceYourFears]

Suicide? I don't know about that....I hope the cops perform a thorough investigation.

[demfriend]

Too sad for one so young and where he was in life. It shows us all that we should never assume those in our lives and around us are not suffering from a deeper depression than we know. Too often when one is suicidal it is a situation which does have another answer than death and it takes help to see the other options. If you know anyone/someone at risk take the time to listen and try to help them get help. Those who kill themselves see only a way out for themselves at the time and never what impact their suicide will have in all around them. When some are shown how much others will be hurt by their action they can see how it isn't just them so they get help

[EvaChasida]

How tragic... rest in peace, Shakir. (And for the record: suicide is never the better way out. Call 1-800-SUICIDE if you fall so low that it looks as if it is... there's hope!)