Ousted Arista boss takes charge at Def Jam
Antonio “LA” Reid, ousted from the top job at Arista Records barely a month ago, has been named chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, where he will oversee the label’s stable of acts, including Jay-Z, Bon Jovi (singer pictured) and Melissa Etheridge.
Reid’s three-year deal with the Universal Music Group-owned label will pay him just under €9.7m, according to a source familiar with the contract. He also has a one-year option on the contract.
Reid, who over his career as a music producer and label head has racked up hits with artists such as Whitney Houston, Avril Lavigne and, most recently, the hip-hop duo OutKast, could earn more with contract incentives linked to his ability to generate hits, the source said.
