Kanye West & Nicki Minaj's Manager Lands Exec Position At Interscope

Gee Roberson, manager of Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West and Young Money starlet Nicki Minaj, has officially landed a high profile executive position at Universal Music Group's Interscope branch, Geffen Records.

Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine confirmed the power move via statement this week.

Universal Music Group hired Gee Roberson, manager of rap artists including Kanye West and Nicki Minaj, to restart the company's Geffen Records. Roberson will be chairman of New York-based Geffen, Universal Music, part of Paris-based Vivendi SA (VIV), said today in an e-mailed statement. He reports to Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine. "Gee has a unique combination of talents that the music industry really needs running a record company today" Iovine said in the statement. (Bloomberg)

Details on his exact duties have already been unveiled.

Based in New York, Roberson will oversee the creative direction and operations of Geffen Records, with a special focus on discovering and nurturing new artists. He will also be charged with expanding the reach of the label into numerous areas, including digital direct-to-consumer, merchandising, touring and management, according to a press release. (Billboard)

Roberson is taking on a label most known for producing rock acts.

He started his career at Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, where he rose to senior VP of A&R and worked closely with the label's chief executive and rap mega-star. Roberson's arrival prefigures a shift in Geffen's direction: Company has hitherto been best known for a pop and rock roster that has included Elton John, Cher, Peter Gabriel, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Nirvana and Beck. Label has sported a handful of top R&B and hip-hop acts like Mary J. Blige, the Roots, the Game and Common. (Variety)

The music exec is also widely known for his past work alongside Jay-Z.

Mr. Roberson began his tenure in the music industry under the tutelage of Jay-Z at Roc-A-Fella Records, where he quickly rose to Senior Vice President of A&R. While at Roc-A-Fella, he was instrumental in multi-platinum successes. He later segued to Atlantic Records, where he served as Senior Vice President of A&R, heading up the famed label's urban music division. While there, he was instrumental in the break-through success of T.I., among others. Mr. Roberson serves as Co-CEO of HipHop Since 1978, a full service management company that features such chart-topping trendsetters as Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Young Jeezy. (PR Newswire)