Antonio M. "L.A." Reid is an American record executive, musician, songwriter, record producer,
former television music competition judge, and is currently the chairman and CEO of Epic
Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
A co-founder of LaFace Records, Reid's production and studio drumming skills have helped to
bring numerous music figures to multi-platinum sales, including OutKast, Toni Braxton, TLC,
Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Paula Abdul, Pink, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kanye West,
Usher, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Ciara, Kerli, and Dido.
He has won three Grammy Awards.
Reid is also the president and CEO of Hitco Music Publishing, based in Atlanta, and was
the chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group for six years until his move to
Epic in 2011.
He appeared as a judge on the first two seasons of the U.S. version of the television show
The X Factor, but in December 2012 announced he would not be back for the show's third
season, saying he wanted to focus on his leadership at Epic Records.
Career Beginnings
Reid first began his music career as a drummer, with his first appearance on record being
with the Cincinnati funk rock outfit Pure Essence.
Pure Essence released one solitary 45 in the mid-1970s.
They later appeared on local FM rock radio station WEBN's second annual LP compilation,
but the group was renamed 'Essence'.
Reid would experience more mainstream success when he became a member of the 1980s R&B band
The Deele, best known for their 1988 hit Two Occasions, a song on the remake by LA Production
and Recording Studio Music Intersection.
The band had broken up before the success of the single, then reunited to promote "Two
Occasions" as it rose up the charts under Dick Griffey's Solar Records.
The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1989–2004: LaFace Records and Arista years After The Deele disbanded, Reid and band mate
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds founded LaFace in 1989 through a joint venture with Arista
Records, with funding from Arista Records creator Clive Davis.
The label soon became one of the premiere destinations for popular African-American
entertainers who created Black Pop music that was easily accessible to both Urban and Top
40 radio formats.
Reid signed 14 year old Usher to the label, whose six album releases have sold 65 million
units worldwide.
Other popular acts on the label during its peak include Toni Braxton, TLC, and Outkast.
Initially headquartered in Atlanta, the label played a role in building the current landscape
of the [Atlanta] music industry.
In 1991 Reid co-wrote the controversial Jermaine Jackson single "Word to the Badd."
Hitco Publishing Group With the belief that good songwriting is essential
to the success of recording artists, Reid formed the Hitco Publishing Group in 1996,
as a joint venture with Windswept Music.
While starting up Hitco, Reid was looking to connect to a wholly new market of producers
and songwriters and talent spotted the young Shakir Stewart whom he saw as someone with
a "a finger on the pulse of the next generation of hot producers in the Atlanta music scene".
He gave the future senior vice president of Island Def Jam Music Group his first position
as an inter-level creative person at Hitco.
In May 2000, Edmonds and Reid sold their remaining 50% stake in LaFace to parent company BMG.
The label became an imprint of Arista Records, with Arista taking on sales, marketing, and
promotional duties for its acts.
At this time, Reid also succeeded his mentor Clive Davis as president of Arista Records.
Davis went on to find success creating another BMG imprint named J Records, which signed
global superstars such as Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Luther Vandross and Rod Stewart.
In 2000, LaFace was merged into Arista Records with Reid being promoted to president and
CEO of Arista Records.
He took a six week executive course at Harvard Business School in order to become CEO of
Arista Records in 2000.
Reid signed his first unknown artist to Arista, pop/rocker Avril Lavigne As president of Arista
Records, Reid brought the company great success by signing artists such as P!nk and Ciara
sold 3 million copies in the US).
Under Reid's tenure at Arista, Usher completed production on his multi-platinum hit 2004
album Confessions, which went on to spawn 4 #1 hit singles and sell 10 million copies
in the United States alone.
Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below also went on to sell 10 million copies and won
a Grammy Award for Album of the year.
He is still currently Chairman/CEO of Hitco Music Publishing.
2004–2011: Island Def Jam Music Group
Following the merger of Sony and BMG, L.A. Reid was released from his contract at Arista
in 2004 and quickly became the Chairman and CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group in February
2004.
Reid is noted for bringing Mariah Carey's career back to prominence with her multi-platinum
2005 album The Emancipation Of Mimi after her career had stalled from 2001-2003 with
less than stellar sales and general lack of public interest for her two previous projects
Glitter and Charmbracelet.
Reid also played a role in the successes of artists such as Amerie, Kanye West, Rihanna,
Bon Jovi, and teenage pop phenomenon Justin Bieber.
Reid stepped down as CEO and Chairman of Def Jam in March 2011.
2011–present: The X Factor and Epic Records In early 2011 Reid became a judge on the U.S.
version of the British television singing competition The X Factor, alongside its creator
and former American Idol judge Simon Cowell, 80s pop star Paula Abdul and former Pussycat
Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who replaced British pop star Cheryl Cole.
Reid was assigned the Boys category throughout the competition, aided by friend and singer
Rihanna at the Judges' Houses stage of the competition in The Hamptons.
His final four acts were Marcus Canty, Chris Rene, Astro and Phillip Lomax.
Lomax was eliminated on week one of the Live Shows, with Astro being eliminated on week
six.
Marcus Canty came fourth in the competition and was eliminated by the public vote in the
semi-final.
Chris Rene was Reid's most successful act who came third overall in the competition,
bested by Josh Krajcik in second place and Melanie Amaro who won the show.
After the season ended, Reid worked with Astro, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene on their music
careers.
In July 2011, Reid became the Chairman and CEO of Epic Records which also includes various
former Jive Records artists.
In September 2012, Reid returned for The X Factor's second season along with Simon Cowell,
while Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul were axed from the panel, along with Season 1 host
Steve Jones.
Joining the judging panel were new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, while Khloé
Kardashian and Mario Lopez replaced Jones as co-hosts.
Reid had his team of finalists in the "over 25's" including Tate Stevens, the winner of
the season.
Reid announced in December 2012 that he would not return for the third season in 2013.
Cosmetic line In 2008, Reid joined the advisory board of
a cosmetics line named 'Le Métier de Beauté.'
Awards and honors On August 30, 2006, L.A. Reid, along with
Babyface, was honored as a BMI Icon at the 6th annual BMI Urban Awards.
As of 2006, he has won 18 BMI awards.
Together with Babyface, Reid has produced and/or co-written penning numerous R&B hits,
racking up 33 No. 1 singles.
Reid was honored with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' President's
Merit Award at the Grammy salute to Industry Icons celebration on February 9, 2013, the
day prior to the 55th Grammy Awards.
Discography
References
External links L.A. Reid at the Internet Movie Database
L.A. Reid: A Day in the Life of a Music Mogul Antonio "L.A." Reid - Making of an Industry
Mogul L.A. Reid at bmi.com
L.A. Reid discography at AllMusic.com