HAS ISLAND FILLED ITS LEADERSHIP VOID?

Island Records, which has been without a label chief since Darcus Beese decided last month to return to the U.K., is rumored to be trying to bring in current Columbia co-heads of A&R Justin Eshak and Imran Majid. The two EVPs of A&R have worked as a team since coming to Columbia eight years ago; each began his career in the early 2000s at Republic.

Some questions remain about the timing of this transition; stay tuned. Reps from both Island and Columbia declined to comment on the rumor.