Jay-Z confirmed his departure from Def Jam while being interviewed by RapRadar.com.

“I can honestly say, working with Doug Morris and L.A. Reid has been a unique and fulfilling experience and I respect them immensely. I’ve been in the family for almost my entire career.

“Doug and I spoke directly and had one of the most unique ‘negotiations’ ever. Doug won the toss but, we both won in the end..

“I thank him for allowing me to be a completely independent artist. Not every artist can say they own, or are given the opportunity to own, all of their music.”

If you haven’t been keeping track of recording industry execs, Doug Morris is the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, which owns Def Jam. L.A. Reid is the Grammy-winning singer who is also chairman of Island / Def Jam.

No one in the Jay-Z camp has commented on his remarks to RapRadar.com. Jay-Z signed a high-profile contract with Live Nation last year covering touring, publishing and albums.

Click here for the RapRadar.com article.