Joie Manda


Joie Manda is an American music executive who is the current executive vice president of Interscope Records. He previously held executive positions at Def Jam Recordings, Warner Bros. Records, and Asylum Records. Since 2004, Manda has worked with a variety of hip hop and R&B artists, including Gucci Mane, Jill Scott, Juice Wrld, J. Cole, Ella Mai, DaBaby, Summer Walker and numerous others.

Early life

Manda grew up in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. When he was around 12 or 13, he showed an interest in music and his mother purchased him a set of turntables. Manda dropped out of high school when he was in 11th grade, and soon earned jobs as a doorman and promoter. In the 1990s, he started working for Peter Gatien, a nightclub owner who owned several clubs throughout the New York City area, including Tunnel, The Limelight, and Palladium.

Career

While working as a doorman and promoter at Palladium, Manda met DJ, Funkmaster Flex. The two formed a partnership that led to Manda being an associate executive producer on Flex and DJ Big Kap's 1999 album, The Tunnel. He also worked on a second Funkmaster Flex album, which was released on Loud Records. Manda briefly worked as a consultant for that label.
In 2004, Todd Moscowitz hired Manda as the executive vice president and head of A&R at the recently-revived Asylum Records. While there, he signed acts Gucci Mane, Bun B, Paul Wall, and Lil Boosie, among others. He eventually parlayed that role into a position as the head of urban music at Warner Bros. Records in 2010. There he signed acts like Jill Scott, Waka Flocka Flame, and Common and also facilitated a joint venture deal with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, bringing artists like Meek Mill and Wale to the Warner Bros. roster.
In March 2012, Manda was appointed president of Def Jam Recordings, becoming the first person to fill the role since Jay-Z vacated it in 2007. He spent a year in that position, overseeing the release of three number one albums with Nas' Life Is Good, Rick Ross' God Forgives, I Don't, and 2 Chainz' Based on a T.R.U. Story. Soon after leaving Def Jam, he joined Interscope Records as the president of urban music. In that position, he helped facilitate partnerships with J. Cole's Dreamville Records in 2014, and Mustard's 10 Summers label. He also signed or worked closely with artists like Rae Sremmurd, Playboi Carti, 6lack, Tory Lanez, and others. In early 2017, he trademarked "Rule #1 Music" as the name for a joint venture with Interscope.
In May 2017, Manda was named the executive vice president of Interscope, a title he continues to hold. In that role, he continued fostering joint ventures with other labels including LVRN Records and Alamo Records. He has also signed and overseen artists like Moneybagg Yo, Ella Mai, and DaBaby, among others.