Def Jam hires Don Cannon

LOADING CANNON: Following last week’s hiring of former Atlantic’s Darrale Jones as EVP A&R, Def Jam has added another A&R exec, Don Cannon, who’s named VP A&R by IDJ EVP/Head of A&R Karen Kwak. The producer/DJ, who’ll be based in Atlanta, will work closely with Kwak and IDJ topper Steve Bartels, according to this morning’s announcement. As Kwak points out, Cannon “has already worked with some of our most successful artists,” a list that includes Pusha T, Jeezy, Nas, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Ludacris and Big Sean, as well as close family friend Jay-Z. Says the man himself, “I feel I have a cutting-edge vision for where the culture and hip-hop are heading and I'm excited to be joining the team.” (7/8a)