Def Jam CEO Shakir Stewart commits suicide

breaking news from CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/03/defjam.suicide.ap/index.html

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) — 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.

Shakir Stewart was named the head of hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings in June.

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.”