Who

Antonio "L.A." Reid is the chairman of Island Def Jam, home to hip-hop artists like Kanye West, Nas, LL Cool J, and Rihanna.

Backstory

Contrary to his nickname, Reid didn't grow up in Los Angeles: the Cincinnati native and son of a seamstress earned the moniker for the flashy attire he favored when he played in the drums in '80s R&B group the Deele. Reid later teamed up with the Deele's lead singer, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, to start a production company that created hits for Paula Abdul and Bobby Brown; in 1989, the duo decamped to Atlanta to launch LaFace Records, which made stars out of R&B acts like Toni Braxton, TLC, Usher, and Outkast.

BMG acquired the label for $100 million in 2000, and Reid was installed as president of the BMG-owned Arista Records after the German music giant's then-CEO, Strauss Zelnick, sacked Arista's longtime leader, Clive Davis. After four years of mixed results—he had hits with Pink and Avril Lavigne, but his $100 million bet on Whitney Houston was a disaster—in 2004 Reid decamped to Def Jam, following the departure of Lyor Cohen. Quite possibly the most powerful African-American in the record business, Reid now oversees Island, Def Jam, Roc-a-Fella, and Def Soul, labels that encompass such artists as Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Nas, LL Cool J, The Killers, Fall Out Boy, and Mariah Carey.

Of note

Reid has had a rocky road the last few years. His decision to take the top job at Arista—and usurp Clive Davis in the process—cast him as something of a villain in the eyes of many music insiders, and his tendency to spend lavishly amid declining profits did little to improve his image. When a reporter suggested Reid was spending more time shopping at Gucci instead of working, Reid countered that he didn't shop at Gucci because he had all his clothes custom-made.

His tenure at Def Jam has been equally dramatic. Shortly after arriving, Reid tapped Jay-Z to serve as Def Jam's president, part of an effort, observers say, to solidify the label's hip hop cred and deter Def Jam's most prominent artists from defecting. (As part of the deal, Def Jam acquired the remaining stake in Jay and Damon Dash's Roc-A-Fella Records.) Many criticized the hire of Jay to a largely ceremonial post (which nonetheless paid big bucks), and Reid later attracted ire for dumping several artists, most notably R&B legend Patti LaBelle. However, Reid no longer has the world's most famous rap star sitting behind a desk in a corner office, nor signed to his label for that matter: Amid rumors the relationship was unraveling, Jay announced in December 2007 that he was stepping down as president; several months later, he announced he'd leave his record deal with Def Jam behind to sign a deal with LiveNation worth a reported $150 million.

Personal

Reid was once married to Perri McKissack, the '80s dance-pop singer/music manager better known as Pebbles. Just before taking over at Arista in 2000, Reid got remarried to Erica Holton, a former schoolteacher. The three-day wedding extravaganza in Capri attracted Usher, Mariah Carey and Diddy. Reid has four kids: one from an earlier relationship (Antonio Jr.), two with Pebbles (Ashley and Aaron) and one with his new wife. Reid lives at 515 Park Avenue.

Family ties

Reid's son, Aaron, was featured on an episode of My Super Sweet 16. (The lavish fete, which was held at Jay-Z's 40/40 club, brought out Kanye West, Diddy and Jermaine Dupri.) Diddy happens to be Aaron's godfather. Reid is godfather to Diddy's son, Justin.