L.A. Reid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
L.A. Reid
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Reid in 2011
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Antonio Marquis Reid
June 7, 1956 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard Business School (Exec. Ed) |
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| Years active | 1973–present |
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| Formerly of | The Deele, Pure Essence |
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| Children | 5 |
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Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is a famous American music executive and record producer. He has helped many artists become stars. He was the head of big record labels like Arista Records, the Island Def Jam Music Group, and Epic Records.
Early in his career, L.A. Reid was a musician. He played drums in R&B bands like Pure Essence and The Deele. He also produced music for many artists. In 1989, he co-founded LaFace Records with his friend Babyface. Reid also appeared as a judge on the TV show The X Factor. He has won three Grammy Awards for his work. In 2016, he wrote a book about his life called Sing to Me: My Story.
Contents
Music Career Beginnings
L.A. Reid started his music journey as a drummer. His first recording was with a funk rock band called Pure Essence in the mid-1970s. They released one song on a small record.
Later, Reid joined an R&B band from the 1980s called The Deele. This band became well-known for their 1988 hit song "Two Occasions". The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Building Music Empires
After The Deele band broke up, L.A. Reid and his bandmate Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds started their own record label. They named it LaFace Records in 1989. They got money from Clive Davis, who created Arista Records.
LaFace Records quickly became a top place for popular African-American artists. These artists made "Black Pop" music that was popular on both R&B and Top 40 radio stations.
Discovering New Talent
Reid signed a 14-year-old singer named Usher to LaFace Records. Usher's albums have sold over 65 million copies around the world. Other famous artists on the label included Toni Braxton, TLC, and Outkast. Both TLC and Toni Braxton sold more than 65 million records each. LaFace Records was based in Atlanta and helped the city's music scene grow a lot.
Hitco Publishing Group
In 1996, Reid also started the Hitco Publishing Group. This company worked with Windswept Music. Reid wanted to find new producers and songwriters. He hired Shakir Stewart, who he felt understood the next generation of music talent in Atlanta. Shakir's first job in music was at Hitco. He later became a senior vice president at Island Def Jam Music Group.
In 2000, Reid and Babyface sold their share of LaFace to BMG. LaFace then became part of Arista Records. Reid also took over from Clive Davis as the president of Arista Records.
Leading Arista Records
In 1997, Reid studied at Harvard Business School. This helped him get ready to become the CEO of Arista Records. In 2000, Reid signed new artists to Arista. These included Latin rapper Havana Mena and pop/rock singer Avril Lavigne. Avril Lavigne's first album, Let Go, sold 6 million copies in the United States.
As president of Arista Records, Reid also signed artists like Pink and Ciara. Pink's album Missundaztood sold 5 million copies. Ciara's first album Goodies sold 2.5 million copies.
Under Reid's leadership at Arista, Usher released his huge hit album Confessions in 2004. This album had four number one songs and sold 10 million copies in the U.S. Outkast's album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold over 10 million copies and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
New Challenges and TV Fame
After Sony and BMG merged, L.A. Reid left Arista in 2004. He then became the chairman and CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group in February 2004.
Reviving Careers
Reid is known for helping Mariah Carey's music career become successful again. Her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi sold many copies. Her career had slowed down before this album.
Reid also helped artists like Kanye West, Rihanna, Bon Jovi, and Justin Bieber become very successful. He also helped Jennifer Lopez with her music comeback in 2011 with her album Love?. Reid left Island Def Jam in March 2011.
Judging on The X Factor
In early 2011, Reid became a judge on the TV show The X Factor USA. He judged alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Nicole Scherzinger.
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Reid was in charge of the "Boys" category on the show. His final four acts were Marcus Canty, Chris Rene, Astro, and Phillip Lomax. Chris Rene was his most successful act, finishing third in the competition. After the season, Reid continued to work with some of the artists on their music.
In July 2011, Reid became the chairman and CEO of Epic Records. This label included many artists from the former Jive Records.
Reid returned for the second season of The X Factor USA in 2012. New judges Demi Lovato and Britney Spears joined the show. Reid's category was the "Over 25s". Tate Stevens, who was mentored by Reid, won the season.
In December 2012, Reid announced he would not return for the third season of The X Factor.
Later Career and Achievements
After his time on The X Factor, Reid worked on a special project. He helped create the Michael Jackson album Xscape, released in May 2014. Reid looked through 40 years of Michael Jackson's unreleased songs. He then had new music created for eight of Jackson's vocal tracks. The original songs were recorded by Michael Jackson between 1983 and 1999. Xscape became a Gold-certified album.
In 2016, Reid released his book Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next. The book was very popular and became a New York Times bestseller.
Success at Epic Records
Under Reid's leadership, Epic Records had four albums reach number one. These were from artists like Future, DJ Khaled, and Travis Scott. Future became the only artist on the Billboard charts to have two number one albums in a row. At Epic, Reid made the label a top place for hip-hop artists. He also had big success with pop artists like Meghan Trainor and Fifth Harmony. During his time, Epic's share of the music market grew a lot.
In May 2017, Reid left his job at Epic Records. He stated, "I'm proud of my track record promoting, supporting and uplifting women at every company I've ever run. That notwithstanding, if I have ever said anything capable of being misinterpreted, I apologize unreservedly."
Starting Hitco Entertainment
In 2018, Reid started a new company called Hitco Entertainment, LLC. He co-founded it with Charles Goldstuck. Hitco has offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. They signed over 15 artists, including Big Boi (from Outkast) and Dinah Jane (from Fifth Harmony). Their first release was a new album from Big Boi.
In April 2018, Empire Distribution helped Hitco distribute Big Boi's new album. In August 2018, Hitco held a showcase in New York City. Artists like Yella Beezy performed. Yella Beezy's song "That's on Me" became a number one hit on Urban Radio. Songwriter Delacey also joined Hitco as a solo artist. In March 2019, Jennifer Lopez released her song "Medicine" with Hitco Entertainment.
In 2022, Hitco's music and artist contracts were sold to Concord Music Group. After this, Hitco stopped its operations.
Discography
Awards and Recognition
On August 30, 2006, L.A. Reid and Babyface were honored as BMI Icons. As of 2006, Reid has won 18 BMI awards. Together with Babyface, Reid has produced and co-written many R&B hits. They have had over 40 number one songs.
Reid received the President's Merit Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on February 9, 2013. This was the day before the 55th Grammy Awards. Reid has won three Grammy Awards in total. In 2014, he received the Harvard University Alumni Award of Excellence in Media.
In March 2016, Reid received an award from BET Honors for his work in the entertainment business.
Helping Others
L.A. Reid is also known for his charity work. In 2006, he helped raise money for arts programs for young people at the Art for Life Palm Beach event. That same year, he received the UJA-Federation of New York's Music Visionary Award. He has also supported the City of Hope organization and the Robin Hood Foundation.
In 2008, Reid helped write and produce the song "Just Stand Up". This song was for a TV special called Stand Up To Cancer. Many famous artists performed the song, including Mariah Carey, Beyonce, and Rihanna. Money from the song's sales went to the Stand Up To Cancer organization. In 2009, Reid received the Spirit of Compassion Award from UNICEF.
Personal Life
L.A. Reid has a son named Antonio M. Reid, Jr., born in 1978. He married Perri "Pebbles" Reid in 1989. They had a son, Aaron Alexander, in 1989 and later divorced in 1996. In 2000, he married Erica Holton. They have two children together.
Reid got the nickname "L.A." from a friend. He often wore a Los Angeles Dodgers shirt when he was a child.
Images for kids
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L.A. Reid's signature
See also
In Spanish: L. A. Reid para niños
