UPDATE: SRC Records' Prez Clears Up Asher Roth/Def Jam Signing Confusion

SRC Records' founder/president Steve Rifkind has come forward to confirm reports claiming rapper Asher Roth has signed a deal with Def Jam but said the 26 year-old is still under his wing.

According to Rifkind, a new Def Jam partnership will see the rebirth of his renowned Loud Records imprint.

"I'm happy to be partnering with Def Jam on the new @asherrothproject let's go @scooterbraun," he tweeted November 18th.

"Not only are we partnering up with Def Jam on @asherroth album it will be under the LOUD RECORDS imprint" (Steve Rifkind's Twitter)

Yesterday, details surrounding Roth's perceived label move hit the Internet.

Former SRC Records artist Asher Roth has now been signed to Def Jam! Congratulations to him. He plans on releasing his new mixtape, Pabst & Jazz, on Monday (November 21). There have also been talks of Asher releasing his follow-up to 2009's Asleep in the Bread Aisle, called Is This Too Orange, in 2012. UTG will keep you in the loop with that piece of news. Def Jam is still under the Universal name so it's not like he's changing the frame completely but we wish him the best of luck. (Under The Gun Review)

The label shift was also confirmed by a Def Jam executive.

Rapper Asher Roth has announced his signing with Def Jam for the release of his sophomore album next year. Roth had previously been signed with SRC Records, who released his 2009 debut, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. Def Jam executive Shawn Costner revealed that Roth's second album, Is This Too Orange is slated for early in 2012. In the meantime, fans can expect Roth's latest mixtape "Pabst & Jazz" to hit the web next Monday (November 21st.) (Hip Hop Blog)

Earlier this year, Rifkind inked a three-year deal with Def Jam's parent company, Universal.

On the heels of yesterday's announcement that Universal Republic's Monte and Avery Lipman had both re-signed new long-term contracts with UMG comes word that SRC Records CEO Steve Rifkind will also remain at Universal for the near future. "Yes, it's true I just signed with universal for another 3 years," Rifkind tweeted on January 5. "It's time that we get to work." A pioneer and seasoned tastemaker in the world of hip-hop, Rifkind started SRC (Street Records Corporation), which is distributed by Universal Motown, in 2002, the same year Sony shuttered Loud Records, the label he founded in 1992 that was home to Wu Tang Clan, Three 6 Mafia and Xzibit. (Billboard Biz)