Kevin Liles Steps Down From WMG

Hip hop music industry vet Kevin Liles is resigning from his Warner Music Group Executive VP gig.

On Tuesday, Liles sent a company memo announcing his resignation as chairman and CEO of Warner Music’s 300 Elektra Entertainment Chairman … passing the torch to seasoned vets Rayna Bass, Selim Bouab, and Gregg Nadel.

Liles has been with Warner since 2004, which formerly housed Diddy’s Bad Boy Records … and he’s been vocal defending the mounds of allegations against Puff.

Of course, the biggest music industry news of the day is the Diddy indictment … prosecutors are investigating any felonious “freak offs” — and everyone who knows something about them is understandably shook right about now!!!

We spoke to Kevin back in April — he told us he never knew the Diddy who got plastered in the media after all the allegations made in numerous lawsuits … and stuck by him.

Liles’ transition will happen at the end of the month, and sources close to the situation tell us his exit could directly be tied to a massive shakeup happening at Warner.