Music executive L.A. Reid reflects on running Island Def Jam and discovering Rihanna in conversation with Guy Raz.
Assertion Supported
Arista required Reid to replace Clive Davis as condition of buyout
“The owners of Arista, they said, we'll buy your label, but you'll have to agree to a move to New York. B, you'll have to replace Clive Davis and take over Arista Records as its president.”
Insight
Reid refuses to let prospective superstar artists leave meetings without signing
“Yeah, I don't let people leave. If I think you're gonna be a big star, I don't let you leave, you know. Sometimes people insist, hey, can I think about this? You know, and then the answer is usually no, you can't, you need to do it right now, because the minut…”
Insight
Reid: Leading a music label is like leading a band
“There's not very much difference between being a band leader and being a CEO of a music company, because it's managing talent, and I won't say that I mastered it, but I certainly knew something about it when I started the company, and I figured the rest out.”
Insight
Reid: Label buyers acquire future creative output, not just back catalogs
“The way it really works is, I'm the manager of the talent, and what you're buying is really me. You're not just buying those records that have already been massively successful, you're buying what you hope the future will be.”
Insight
Reid: Great talent scouts act as super consumers, not detached professionals
“I think of myself as a super consumer. I don't think of myself as a professional. I think of myself as a fan”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Reid: For 20 years, I was the only Black top record executive
“You know, for 20 years I've been the only black guy.”