Antonio "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American record executive, best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records. He and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds were responsible for helping bring TLC, Usher, Ciara, Outkast, Dido, Avril Lavigne and P!nk to multi-platinum album sales. Reid is currently the most powerful African-American record executive in the world, according to Billboard and Ebony magazines. Reid and Edmonds, both members of the 1980s R&B band The Deele, founded LaFace in 1989, and issued their product through Arista Records. In 2000, Reid was promoted to president and CEO of Arista Records, and LaFace was merged into Arista. Following his stint at Arista, he was appointed as Chairman of The Island Def Jam Music Group in 2004. Reid appointed rapper Jay-Z as president of Def Jam Recordings, and guided singer Mariah Carey's comeback with her 2005 hit album, The Emancipation of Mimi. He is currently Chairman/CEO of Hitco Music Publishing, a division of Windswept.
