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HALL OF FAME BIO
Arista record executive and co-founder of Atlanta’s LaFace Records, Antonio “L.A.” Reid is considered one of today’s most well respected music moguls. In a time when music labels were almost solely headquartered in New York or California, Reid chose to take a chance on the Southern city of Atlanta, and ultimately proved that the area was a hot-spot for R&B and hip-hop music.

In the ‘80s, Reid and close friend Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds formed the funk duo Deele and began writing and producing their own music. Deele’s debut album, “Street Beat,” launched what would be known as the “La/Face Sound.” Reid and Edmonds produced over 100 top ten hits during the ‘80s alone including Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel.”

The team continued their success releasing hits like Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road,” which stayed on the Billboard charts for a record-breaking fourteen weeks, as well as “Roses are Red,” “Miracle,” and “Roni.” Referred to as the “Motown of the South,”

the LaFace label dominated the charts in the ‘90s with a roster of artists including Ciara, Pink, Cee-Lo, Goodie Mob, TLC, Donnell Jones, Usher and Toni Braxton.

By 1999, LaFace produced fewer artists as Reid partner began to focus more on his own music career. By the next year, Reid made the move from Atlanta to New York, taking the role as president at Arista Records and was appointed Chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group. In this role, Reid developed artists like 112 and Young Jeezy, and guided singer Mariah Carey’s 2005 comeback and hit album The Emancipation of Mimi.

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