Antonio "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956 in Cincinnati, Ohio). He is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American record executive, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records. He is responsible for signing and helping bring Toni Braxton, TLC, Usher, Ciara, OutKast, Dido, Avril Lavigne, and Pink,Rihanna, Ne-yo, Young Jeezy, Kanye West, Rick Ross, The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Duffy,Ludacris, Babyface, After 7 , Pebbles and Mariah Carey to multi-platinum album sales.

Reid is one of four children of Emma Reid, a seamstress and interior decorator. His father was mostly absent. He was raised in Mount Auburn and Madisonville, Ohio ^[1].

His first drum lessons were with his uncle, Albert Baldwin.

At Hughes Center High School (Cincinnati, Ohio), Reid was a star drummer who cut his teeth playing with bands in “Merry-Go-Round,” an annual talent show held in the school auditorium. He also played in the marching band. Reid's former music teacher Terry Brown (now deceased) taught him how to be a professional ^[1]. Reid didn't graduate from Hughes in 1974 as he should have. There are no photos of him in the 1974 yearbook because, says Reid,

“I dropped out. I was enrolled, but I did not participate. I went through the 12th grade, and didn’t have enough credits to graduate. I decided to pursue my music career. One thing led to another, and as I started to have success, I took the necessary steps to get a diploma.”

Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, both members of the 1980s R&B band The Deele, founded LaFace in 1989, and issued their product through Arista Records. In 2000, LaFace was merged into Arista Records with Reid being promoted to president and CEO of Arista Records. He took a six week executive course at Harvard Business School ^{[2] [1]} in order to become CEO of Arista in 2000 when Clive Davis was passed over. Reid signed his first unknown artist to Arista, pop/rocker Avril Lavigne. Following his stint at Arista, he was appointed as Chairman of The Island Def Jam Music Group in 2004. He is also currently Chairman/CEO of Hitco Music Publishing.

Reid has son Antonio Jr (1978) from an unknown relationship.
Reid was married to singer and TLC (band) manager Perri "Pebbles" Reid from 1989-1995 1995; they have son Aaron Reid (1990)together. Aaron Reid was on an episode of My Super Sweet 16. They divorced because TLC (band) left Perri's Pebbitone Manangement for Reid's LaFace, which prompted Perri to sue the group. Although Perri's daughter with George L Smith Ashley Smith(1983) now goes by Ashley V Reid, she isnt LA'a daughter ^[3].

Reid has son Chase Reid with Victoria Robinson; they reside in New Jersey.

He married former schoolteacher Erica Holton in a lavish three day ceremony in Capri,Italy in July 2000. Their daughter Ariana Manuelle was born in April 2001 ^[4]; their son Addison Kennedy was born in August 2003 ^[5]. They reside in New York City.

He flies home to Blue Ash, Ohio every year to take his mother Emma to dinner ^[1].