Music Exec L A Reid Gone From Epic Records

L A Reid

Antonio “L.A.” Reid has exited his post as chairman of Epic Records, according to multiple reports that surfaced Thursday afternoon, according to The LA Times.

Since joining the ranks at the Sony Music label in 2011, the Grammy Award-winning producer has steered Meghan Trainor, Fifth Harmony, Future, Travis Scott and DJ Khaled to superstardom.

After cutting his teeth as a drummer with R&B band the Deele alongside Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Reid and Edmonds launched LaFace Records through Arista.

LaFace was instrumental in shaping R&B and hip-hop at the dawn of the 1990s by breaking multi-platinum acts such as TLC, OutKast, Toni Braxton, Usher and Pink. When Arista absorbed LaFace in 2000, Reid became the label’s new chief executive.

He then went to Island Def Jam, where his work with Mariah Carey yielded her massive 2005 comeback album, “The Emancipation of Mimi,” before leaving to become a judge on Simon Cowell's short-lived American version of "The X Factor” — a decision he called “the worst thing I've ever done” — and began heading to Epic.

Reid also oversaw a major posthumous Michael Jackson project, 2014’s “Xscape,” with the executive curating a collection of new tracks built around decades-old unreleased Jackson vocals — including a record Reid originally produced for the late pop star.

Reid has also had a hand in albums from Justin Bieber, Kanye West, the Killers, Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Avril Lavigne.

There was no immediate word yet on Reid’s replacement.