Antonio L.A. Reid

FROM the moment he confidently strides into Arista's offices in Midtown Manhattan, Antonio (L.A.) Reid is the center of a whirlwind of activity. He exchanges greetings with employees, some dressed in suits, others in jeans and sweatshirts. Several follow him into his tastefully outfitted corner office to get his "ok" or signature on a document_Before long, he is joined by top executives for a meeting on new music products. While on the surface the discussion appears to be informal, it is for real. Music blares in the background while compact discs are spread across the top of Reid's mahogany desk that is partially covered with a leather hide. At times he laughs and jokes with his staff. Then he turns serious, in deep thought as he ponders the decisions before him.He looks, acts and is very much in control. After all, as president/CEO of Arista Records, which generates a half billion dollars annually, L.A. Reid, at age 45, is the most powerful Black man in the music industry.While he commands a formidable music empire that includes some of the best-known and best-selling artists in the business, he also stays true to his producer roots by being intricately involved in the process."I love being in the middle of it," Reid says. "Exactly. I live for it. Over my entire career I have always identified talent, whether I was an artist at the beginning of my career, as a writer and producer, as label head. For the most part it has been the same thing. I live--and I have always lived--to identify with and associate with artists that I've found incredible."