Arista Taps Senior Vice President

Arista Records, whose artist roster includes such acts as Avril Lavigne, has hired R&B; veteran Jermaine Dupri as senior vice president in an effort to bolster its presence in black music.

Dupri, who has produced or remixed top-selling recordings by such acts as Usher and Jay-Z, will report to Arista chief Antonio “L.A.” Reid. Dupri also will record for Arista and oversee his So So Def imprint, which had been distributed previously through Columbia Records. So So Def’s recent hit acts, Jagged Edge and Bow Wow, will remain on the Columbia roster.