Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, film producer, businessman, and former drummer, record producer, and songwriter. In 2017, Reid was forced to step down as chairman of Epic Records after multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
He founded and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He has served as the chairman and CEO of Epic Records and The Island Def Jam Music Group, the president and CEO of Arista Records. Reid was the founder and CEO of Hitco Music Publishing and the co-founder of LaFace Records with producing partner Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. He has won three Grammy Awards, picking up awards as a songwriter for songs such as Boyz II Men's "End of the Road".
As a musician, he joined the Ohio R&B bands Pure Essence in 1973, and The Deele (with future business partner Babyface) in 1981 as a drummer. Reid also has an extended musical career serving as a record producer, programmer, and instrumentalist for various recording artists.
He appeared as a judge on the first two seasons of the U.S. version of the television show The X Factor, but left the show in December 2012 to focus on his leadership at Epic Records. One of the major projects that Reid embarked on following his stint on The X Factor, was the remaking of Michael Jackson songs after his death, with the May 13, 2014 release of the album Xscape. In 2016, Reid published the New York Times bestselling memoir Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next.