Chaka Zulu, Ludacris’ longtime manager and a music executive in Atlanta, was shot in the residential neighborhood of Buckhead on Sunday night. Police confirmed to a local Fox affiliate (Atlanta police have not yet responded to our request for comment). Zulu, an ex-CEO of Disturbing Tha Peace Records (now a subsidiary of Def Jam), was shot around 11:35 p.m. Two other men were shot and rushed to the hospital, Zulu and one other man survived; one has died.
Police do not have a suspect in custody and haven’t released the condition of Zulu or the other survivor (or the identities of the other two men). The shooting happened in a parking lot adjacent to a restaurant and bar called Apt4b.
Zulu recently served as Head of Artist & Talent for Spotify and as VP of Sports and Entertainment Marketing at Monster, the company that was previously behind the Beats by Dre headphones (before they were purchased by Apple). According to a bio on the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Zulu “successfully launched and navigated the brands of international superstars such as T.I., Ludacris, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Iggy Azalea, Outkast, Cee-Lo Green, 8 Ball & MJG, B.O.B., DJ Drama, and Big K.R.I.T.”
Earlier this year, Zulu was honored by the Atlanta Hawks for his community service and was known for his mentorship and, according to the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, giving “back to his community through volunteering and grassroots outreach.”