Even though millions of people were cheering as Barack Obama won the presidential election last week, many were still transfixed on another issue, as hip hop’s biggest boss, Shakir Stewart, was still in mourning.

Stewart, the 34-year-old Def Jam executive vice president died Saturday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A week later, no one can make sense of the tragedy.

“I lost my business partner and friend Shakir Stewart,” said Stewart’s close friend, Rick Ross, about the man who played an integral part in him being signed to Def Jam Records. “After every one of the debates, I could count on receiving his phone call or giving him a phone call. My high of Obama winning the race is followed by a bitter depression [because] my comrade and someone I had so much respect and admiration for is no longer with us.”

Elite hip-hop artist, Usher, spoke about how influential Stewart was in the business.

“From the aspect of production, writing, Shakir was everywhere,” said Usher, who worked with Stewart a great deal over the years. “Whether it was working specifically for L.A. Reid, managing, giving advice … just understanding the game and understanding the hustle and what this industry is — he was that dude. Whenever you saw him, he was always fly, always energy, he was Oakland [California]. He was always cool. He was always the guy bringing energy to the room. These last days, I heard his spirits was broken. So I’m pretty sure he had a very hard time before this incident.”

“If you knew Shakir, you would say, ‘Never. This could never happen to Shakir. It’s not him. That wouldn’t happen,’ ” Usher continued about his friend’s death. “So, you know, I learned a lesson from this: to have compassion, to ask that question, to communicate. I think God put us here to communicate and help each other through our hardships. This industry can definitely take the worst of you or make the best of you. I’ve chosen to accept it as the best of me.”

According to the police report, Stewart’s fiancée had sensed a drastic change in his character and had called a family friend over to help talk to him. When the friend, identified as Herb Smith, stepped outside to call 911, he heard the fatal gunshot.






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