L.A. Reid may launch New Record Label

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Long before he joined Def Jam, L.A. Reid had been a force in the record industry. Had it not been for Reid, many of the legendary hits people enjoy may have never been released. This was one of the reasons Def Jam decided to hire him. With the help of Jay-Z, Reid helped introduce Rihanna and Ne-Yo, among others.

But, when his contract with Def Jam expired, L.A. Reid decided not to renew. Following seven years with Def Jam, Reid opted to sign a deal with Simon Cowell. Reid is now one of the judges for his new series, "The X Factor." While his new gig pays more than Def Jam, it does not mean he is done with music.

During the late 1980s, L.A. Reid helped launch LaFace Records with singer Babyface. The label soon became home to such acts as Usher and TLC. Partnered with Arista Records, LaFace Records released several hits, solidifying L.A. Reid as a force in the music industry. Reid remained with LaFace for fifteen years before he decided to move on to Def Jam.

Now, after seven years at Island Def Jam, L.A. Reid is strongly considering creating a new record label. The label will follow the format of LaFace and what he turned Def Jam into, R&B. Reid reminded the people of who he is and how quickly he can make things happen. L.A. Reid said he is no idiot when it comes to doing business. He has been trying to be in control of his own career, once again, and a new label to go along with his "X Factor" deal may be what he is looking for.

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Usher not Getting Dropped by Record Label

For his entire career, Usher has recorded for LaFace Records and he has set many records for the label. Only a few years ago, Usher was the only artist selling records. His 2004 album, Confessions, carried the label until Ciara released her debut album. But, the post-Confessions career has not been all that spectacular.

Even though he topped the charts in 2008 with "Love In This Club," Usher's Here I Stand album did not sell very well, early on. But, in the two years since the album came out, it has gone platinum. His most-recent album has not had the impact that it was expected to.

Currently, Usher has two hit singles out on the radio, but it has not been enough, according to most rumors. Even after everything that Usher has done for the LaFace label, there were rumors that he was about to get dropped. Despite his minor struggles, Usher is still a big name so not too many people believed the rumors.

However, there were some media outlets that fed into the idea of Usher being dropped by LaFace Records, but it has been revealed that Usher will remain on his label. Given his name and the fact that he is the hottest name in male R&B right now, it would be absurd to believe that LaFace would drop Usher.

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