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Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next
In this long-awaited memoir, illustrated with over 100 never-before-seen photos from his personal collection, the groundbreaking record producer chronicles his struggles, his success, and the celebrated artists that made him a legend.
Legendary music producer L. A. Reid—the man behind artists such as Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Rihanna, TLC, Outkast, Pink, Justin Bieber, and Usher—changed the music business forever. Now, he tells his story, taking fans on an intimate tour of his life. L.A. Confidential is a fascinating journey from Reid’s small-town R&B roots in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his work as a drummer to his fame as a Grammy Award-winning music producer and his gig as a judge on the hit reality show, The X Factor.
Reid takes readers behind the scenes of the music industry, charting his rise to fame and sharing stories of the countless singers he’s met, nurtured, and molded into stars. Part music memoir, part inspirational business guide, this beautifully designed memoir, jam packed with photos, showcases Reid’s trademark passion and ingenuity and introduces a multifaceted genius who continues to shape pop culture today.
Legendary music producer L. A. Reid—the man behind artists such as Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Rihanna, TLC, Outkast, Pink, Justin Bieber, and Usher—changed the music business forever. Now, he tells his story, taking fans on an intimate tour of his life. L.A. Confidential is a fascinating journey from Reid’s small-town R&B roots in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his work as a drummer to his fame as a Grammy Award-winning music producer and his gig as a judge on the hit reality show, The X Factor.
Reid takes readers behind the scenes of the music industry, charting his rise to fame and sharing stories of the countless singers he’s met, nurtured, and molded into stars. Part music memoir, part inspirational business guide, this beautifully designed memoir, jam packed with photos, showcases Reid’s trademark passion and ingenuity and introduces a multifaceted genius who continues to shape pop culture today.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published February 2, 2016
73 people are currently reading
869 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Reid
1 book11 followersAntonio M. Reid is a musician, songwriter, record producer and the chairman and CEO of Epic Records.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
February 7, 2016
Just finished LA Reid's new book "Sing To Me" and absolutely loved it. I bought it Friday and couldn't put it down. The stories behind his numerous hit records, how he signed some of the biggest names in music, and how he dealt with success are some of the most interesting anecdotes I've ever read. But the most surprising thing about his story is the self doubt and insecurities he continued to endure no matter how large his success grew. Keep in mind his well documented accomplishments such as discovering TLC, Rihanna, Neo, Toni Braxton, Usher, Outkast, Cee Lo, Avril Lavigne, Pink, Future, Meghan Trainor, just to name a few. And he's also written and produced hit songs for Whitney Houston, Mirah Carey, Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Paula Abdul, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez, etc etc etc. He built one of the most successful record companies (La Face Records) the industry has ever seen. Then singlehandedly saved Epic Records from an almost certain death. Took over Universal as CEO after it became one of the biggest entertainment conglomerates in the industry. Yet still, with this unbelievably impressive list of accomplishments he still had to fight insecurities and self-doubt.
I have always looked up to LA Reid and saw him as the self-assured confident talented ideal of what I wanted to be. Then a few chapters into his book I was quickly disabused of this notion... which was a good thing because it instantly made him more human and more relatable. Knowing that I struggle with the same type of self-doubt is comforting in a weird way. It makes his success seem a little more attainable.
For those of you who are interested in the music business, or if you're into creating music (like I am), I suggest you pickup "Sing To Me". You'll definitely find a lot of helpful advice and timely jewels of wisdom throughout. If that doesn't convince you to read it, here's a tease that will. Picture this, Reid's ex-wife Pebbles storming into his house after she heard (then unknown singer/choreographer) Paula Abdul was there alone with him. Some kind of physical contact ensued which leaves one of the ladies running away in fear for her life. You want to read it now don't ya? lol
I have always looked up to LA Reid and saw him as the self-assured confident talented ideal of what I wanted to be. Then a few chapters into his book I was quickly disabused of this notion... which was a good thing because it instantly made him more human and more relatable. Knowing that I struggle with the same type of self-doubt is comforting in a weird way. It makes his success seem a little more attainable.
For those of you who are interested in the music business, or if you're into creating music (like I am), I suggest you pickup "Sing To Me". You'll definitely find a lot of helpful advice and timely jewels of wisdom throughout. If that doesn't convince you to read it, here's a tease that will. Picture this, Reid's ex-wife Pebbles storming into his house after she heard (then unknown singer/choreographer) Paula Abdul was there alone with him. Some kind of physical contact ensued which leaves one of the ladies running away in fear for her life. You want to read it now don't ya? lol
March 25, 2017
Fascinating. This wasn't mere name-dropping. LA's worked with and shaped so many music legends.
March 14, 2016
At 390 pages you would expect this book to be jammed full of great stories about Reid's working with major stars. Instead, you get a rather dull "then I made this album" step-by-step retelling of his career that is cleaned up to where he makes himself look angelic in a business known for drugs, partying, backbiting, violence, and sex. If you want the truth behind the scenes of the record business you won't find it here.
Instead you get Reid promoting himself as a star-finder. He claims to have predicted the success of people like Usher, Mariah, Rihanna, TLC, Pink, and Bieber. But this is all told in a way that makes him look like the star and he glosses over his failures. He rarely mentions his private life, never talks about sleeping around or partying or the well-known drug usage that goes on in the music business. It's more like an expanded imdb of his music career.
There are some interesting stories about how certain songs came about, which raises the book from 2-star to a 3-star. And he does spend a little time discussing the X Factor (not much though). But he barely even mentions some of the major names and big albums that he put out. And never does he really talk about how a great album is put together--instead he just claims to have the gift of instinct that knows when a song or singer is good. Most surprising is that he over-praises Kanye West (so is Reid to blame for Kanye's God complex???) and says that Outkast is the greatest thing he has done in his life. Huh? More than working with Michael Jackson or Mariah or Jennifer Lopez or Whitney Houston or....well, you get the idea. Reid is filled by hyperbole about the people he works with and himself.
In the end this is a scrubbed-up extended press release where Reid attempts to make himself look like a humble and unrecognized genius. It would have been much more interesting if he wrote the truth about the famous names he worked with, the lawsuits, the trouble he got into, his over-spending, and the inner workings of how a hit record is made.
Instead you get Reid promoting himself as a star-finder. He claims to have predicted the success of people like Usher, Mariah, Rihanna, TLC, Pink, and Bieber. But this is all told in a way that makes him look like the star and he glosses over his failures. He rarely mentions his private life, never talks about sleeping around or partying or the well-known drug usage that goes on in the music business. It's more like an expanded imdb of his music career.
There are some interesting stories about how certain songs came about, which raises the book from 2-star to a 3-star. And he does spend a little time discussing the X Factor (not much though). But he barely even mentions some of the major names and big albums that he put out. And never does he really talk about how a great album is put together--instead he just claims to have the gift of instinct that knows when a song or singer is good. Most surprising is that he over-praises Kanye West (so is Reid to blame for Kanye's God complex???) and says that Outkast is the greatest thing he has done in his life. Huh? More than working with Michael Jackson or Mariah or Jennifer Lopez or Whitney Houston or....well, you get the idea. Reid is filled by hyperbole about the people he works with and himself.
In the end this is a scrubbed-up extended press release where Reid attempts to make himself look like a humble and unrecognized genius. It would have been much more interesting if he wrote the truth about the famous names he worked with, the lawsuits, the trouble he got into, his over-spending, and the inner workings of how a hit record is made.
August 10, 2016
I really enjoyed LA's book. It's so awesome to have shared a part of his journey during the time that I handled the marketing for TLC, Toni Braxton, Usher and others when I was the Sr. Director of Marketing at LaFace Records.
October 8, 2020
Going into this book I was a little worried that I would lose interest as the narrative got closer to the present day. I know LA Reid mostly for his work in the 80s and 90s and that was what drew me to this memoir. I was right to think that the first half of this book would be my favorite but I was wrong to think the rest would lose me, I was hooked on this book from start to finish. This book comes with all of the stories behind the songs I was hoping for and all of the stories of discovering talent that I didn't expect to be as interesting as they ended up being.
Learning about Reid's childhood and early days of playing with various groups in and around Cincinnati was super interesting. He really led a special life before making it big. He seemed to recall all of the best anecdotes for this book. Meeting Babyface and playing with The Deele was where I knew I would be sucked in and I wasn't disappointed.
Where I thought I would lose interest was on his move to Atlanta to start his own label. Honestly I've come to appreciate the great vantage point he had of a previously untapped city in the music world as it blossomed into the hit factory we know today and his perspective on that growth will be invaluable to music fans and historians alike.
The rest of his career is also fascinating whether just from learning about all of the amazing acts he's worked with and their trials together or from learning about the politics of the industry. The only part that fell off a bit for me was the X-factor stuff but it was short and was still enough to keep my attention.
Every piece of his life that LA Reid sought to share with the world was worth reading. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in the pop music industry in any way. If you've been an avid or even occasional pop music listener over the past three decades you owe it to yourself to go on this journey through LA Reid's unequaled career.
Learning about Reid's childhood and early days of playing with various groups in and around Cincinnati was super interesting. He really led a special life before making it big. He seemed to recall all of the best anecdotes for this book. Meeting Babyface and playing with The Deele was where I knew I would be sucked in and I wasn't disappointed.
Where I thought I would lose interest was on his move to Atlanta to start his own label. Honestly I've come to appreciate the great vantage point he had of a previously untapped city in the music world as it blossomed into the hit factory we know today and his perspective on that growth will be invaluable to music fans and historians alike.
The rest of his career is also fascinating whether just from learning about all of the amazing acts he's worked with and their trials together or from learning about the politics of the industry. The only part that fell off a bit for me was the X-factor stuff but it was short and was still enough to keep my attention.
Every piece of his life that LA Reid sought to share with the world was worth reading. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in the pop music industry in any way. If you've been an avid or even occasional pop music listener over the past three decades you owe it to yourself to go on this journey through LA Reid's unequaled career.
March 24, 2016
Overall, a very good book; super interesting to read about all of the artists this man has worked with/discovered throughout his STAGGERING career.
My only complaint is a sexist one: LA Reid tells this story like a typical guy. By this I mean, he tends to give the basic outline of certain events without fleshing out the juicy details; like when you ask a guy how a party went where you know for a fact that something nuts went down and his only response is, "it was crazy", and that's it. WHY was it crazy? WHO did you see? WHAT did so and so say to so and so? What were they wearing? Did they have sex!? Half the reason I love celebrity bios is because I love celebrity gossip. To that end, Reid gives a minuscule sampling but the focus is more on the chronology of events in his career, which I guess makes sense but how dare he focus on him in his own autobiography. ;) that aside, if you can put a love of people magazine in the back of your mind, this is a great story of a hugely accomplished man. With "Sing to Me", Reid strikes a fine chord.
My only complaint is a sexist one: LA Reid tells this story like a typical guy. By this I mean, he tends to give the basic outline of certain events without fleshing out the juicy details; like when you ask a guy how a party went where you know for a fact that something nuts went down and his only response is, "it was crazy", and that's it. WHY was it crazy? WHO did you see? WHAT did so and so say to so and so? What were they wearing? Did they have sex!? Half the reason I love celebrity bios is because I love celebrity gossip. To that end, Reid gives a minuscule sampling but the focus is more on the chronology of events in his career, which I guess makes sense but how dare he focus on him in his own autobiography. ;) that aside, if you can put a love of people magazine in the back of your mind, this is a great story of a hugely accomplished man. With "Sing to Me", Reid strikes a fine chord.
September 20, 2016
This has not only been one of the most inspirational works I've read in the past few years, #SingToMe is also covering decades of contemporary music, in particular music I grew up with, from an unprecedented backstage point-of-view that pulls the reader right into the diverse world of music and entertainment.
Very well structured and grouped into thematically coherent chapters, L.A. Reid's autobiography takes the reader by the hand to guide one through the ups and downs of his exceptional life and artistic legacy without becoming boring or dull at any time. What is more, it makes one feel honored to have lived among a music master, innovator, a virtuoso and genius who has shaped the core and cause of music in a way no one has done it before - a great read and simply a must for every admirer of music (L.A.'s influence and legacy is far more immense than one may think).
Very well structured and grouped into thematically coherent chapters, L.A. Reid's autobiography takes the reader by the hand to guide one through the ups and downs of his exceptional life and artistic legacy without becoming boring or dull at any time. What is more, it makes one feel honored to have lived among a music master, innovator, a virtuoso and genius who has shaped the core and cause of music in a way no one has done it before - a great read and simply a must for every admirer of music (L.A.'s influence and legacy is far more immense than one may think).
July 13, 2016
This was actually really, really good.
October 13, 2020
Loved it! One of the greats behind the scenes in music opens up in a wellwritten memoir about his passion and talent for music, discovering and/or working with huge music acts such as Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Jay-Z and Outcast as well as experiencing being part of the jury in X-Factor.
I’m in music myself so it might have been an extra treat for me but I’m certain this book is interesting for everyone loving music and are curious about life working with finding hits and the next big artist.
I’m in music myself so it might have been an extra treat for me but I’m certain this book is interesting for everyone loving music and are curious about life working with finding hits and the next big artist.
June 8, 2022
PEBBLE’s my dear… you are nuts! 🤣
LA’s eyes just have never seemed honest to me. 🤷🏽♀️
I enjoyed this memoir… I learned some wonderful things about his career and his rise to the top. Wow, what a ride and the lives that this man has touched!!!
I run to that MJ jawn they produced “Slave to the Rhythm” it’s definitely before it’s time but still rock now… that’s classic ish!!!
Overall, this is a great book that kinda outlined my intro to music in general… and I would most certainly recommend!!!
LA’s eyes just have never seemed honest to me. 🤷🏽♀️
I enjoyed this memoir… I learned some wonderful things about his career and his rise to the top. Wow, what a ride and the lives that this man has touched!!!
I run to that MJ jawn they produced “Slave to the Rhythm” it’s definitely before it’s time but still rock now… that’s classic ish!!!
Overall, this is a great book that kinda outlined my intro to music in general… and I would most certainly recommend!!!
Read
May 20, 2017A serviceable biography by a decent and important figure in musical history.
July 4, 2018
"God was in the room and he looked like Michael Jackson." - L.A. Reid
"(So-and-so's) superpower is..." - L.A. Reid
This book was Satan's agent (serpent!) boasting and blaspheming about all of the people he has stolen from God's Choir via their lusts (of the eyes, flesh, pride, desire to obtain God's glory/worship/fame/wealth/authority/power). People who influence, partner with, are produced/mentored/praised by L.A. Reid and do not repent of making deals with the devil are flunking their faith and character tests (e.g., Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, etc.).
Note: The people who L.A. Reid low-key mocks in his book repented of their sins and (re)turned to faith in Christ (Prince). There's no hope for Whitney and Michael and the millions of pop music fans who have died in sin. There's still hope for Perri, Babyface, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, and many others who claim to be followers of Christ but the "fruit" of their choices expose them as liars and hypocrites. They are being offered opportunities to repent and be delivered from the stronghold of idolatry via worshiping musicians, moguls, music, money, multiple marriages...
Yes, beware people who have a trail of broken business partnerships (lawsuits! bankruptcies!) and busted romantic relationships (divorce!), who promote fornication (lust!) and adultery (unfaithfulness!), and/or who "can't" be faithful to one spouse in marriage (GREEDY!). These are signs that Satan rules their lives (see Hebrews 13:4 and 1 Corinthians 6). These are common themes in all pop music (R&B, hip-hop, rock, country, etc.).
Genesis 2:15-25 NLT
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man.
“At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”
This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
Genesis 3:1-24 NLT
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.
Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
The man replied, “It was the woman You gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Then He said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
And to the man He said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like Us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and He sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which He had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Luke 4:1-13 NLT
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
Then the devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’ ”
Then the devil took Him up and revealed to Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’ ”
Then the devil took Him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’ ”
When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left Him until the next opportunity came.
Matthew 4:17 NLT
From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
John 3:1-21 NLT
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.
“Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. ”
2 Corinthians 4:1-18 NLT
Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”
We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2, 14-18 NLT
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.
For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
1 John 2:15-29 NLT
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you His Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us.
I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as He has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
1 John 5:1-5, 16-21 NLT
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too.
We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey His commandments. Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.
We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life.
Dear children, keep away from idols (anything that might take God’s place in your hearts).
[See also Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28.]
"(So-and-so's) superpower is..." - L.A. Reid
This book was Satan's agent (serpent!) boasting and blaspheming about all of the people he has stolen from God's Choir via their lusts (of the eyes, flesh, pride, desire to obtain God's glory/worship/fame/wealth/authority/power). People who influence, partner with, are produced/mentored/praised by L.A. Reid and do not repent of making deals with the devil are flunking their faith and character tests (e.g., Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, etc.).
Note: The people who L.A. Reid low-key mocks in his book repented of their sins and (re)turned to faith in Christ (Prince). There's no hope for Whitney and Michael and the millions of pop music fans who have died in sin. There's still hope for Perri, Babyface, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, and many others who claim to be followers of Christ but the "fruit" of their choices expose them as liars and hypocrites. They are being offered opportunities to repent and be delivered from the stronghold of idolatry via worshiping musicians, moguls, music, money, multiple marriages...
Yes, beware people who have a trail of broken business partnerships (lawsuits! bankruptcies!) and busted romantic relationships (divorce!), who promote fornication (lust!) and adultery (unfaithfulness!), and/or who "can't" be faithful to one spouse in marriage (GREEDY!). These are signs that Satan rules their lives (see Hebrews 13:4 and 1 Corinthians 6). These are common themes in all pop music (R&B, hip-hop, rock, country, etc.).
Genesis 2:15-25 NLT
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man.
“At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”
This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
Genesis 3:1-24 NLT
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.
Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
The man replied, “It was the woman You gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Then He said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
And to the man He said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like Us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and He sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which He had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Luke 4:1-13 NLT
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
Then the devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’ ”
Then the devil took Him up and revealed to Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’ ”
Then the devil took Him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’ ”
When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left Him until the next opportunity came.
Matthew 4:17 NLT
From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
John 3:1-21 NLT
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.
“Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. ”
2 Corinthians 4:1-18 NLT
Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”
We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2, 14-18 NLT
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.
For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
1 John 2:15-29 NLT
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you His Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us.
I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as He has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
1 John 5:1-5, 16-21 NLT
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too.
We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey His commandments. Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.
We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life.
Dear children, keep away from idols (anything that might take God’s place in your hearts).
[See also Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28.]
August 14, 2021
The power of a good memoir, is its honesty. This is a good memoir.
March 4, 2017
Very Entertaining! A Great Read!!!
All I have are nice words to say about this book. LA Reid is a great story teller. He has a way of pulling you in and keeping you engaged. I would love to see it made into a movie.
All I have are nice words to say about this book. LA Reid is a great story teller. He has a way of pulling you in and keeping you engaged. I would love to see it made into a movie.
March 2, 2017
Musical history & journey
As I was reading I felt pulled in by time and remembering where I was when each record or artist came out. The author was very thoughtful and honest,which further brought the story to life.
As I was reading I felt pulled in by time and remembering where I was when each record or artist came out. The author was very thoughtful and honest,which further brought the story to life.
April 18, 2016
I will be honest in saying that I did not really read every page of the book. For the most part, I skimmed the majority but stopped here and there when an interesting fact came across the page. L.A Reid an executive producer was behind a lot of musicians success such as TLC, Usher, Avril Lavinge, just to name a few. I was intrigued with this book based on an interview I saw with L.A Reid who was promoting it on a popular radio show. As far as the contents, it was okay but I was not a fan of the writing style. Also it was not consistent, it was more about discovering people and less about the man himself.
Although it touched on L.A childhood life at times, it was more about how much music changed the artist life rather than Reid himself. It was not a horrible book by any means, but it was not a memorable one I will recommend to anyone. Despite my fickle feelings towards the book, it is an interesting book if you want to know more about how popular artist came into fame.
I thought the book was decent for the most part, not amazing or anything.
Although it touched on L.A childhood life at times, it was more about how much music changed the artist life rather than Reid himself. It was not a horrible book by any means, but it was not a memorable one I will recommend to anyone. Despite my fickle feelings towards the book, it is an interesting book if you want to know more about how popular artist came into fame.
I thought the book was decent for the most part, not amazing or anything.
February 3, 2017
At just shy of 400 pages, this is a lot more thorough than, say, Ja Rule's Unruly. Reid and his collaborator clearly took pride in their work, which is ironic given that I fished this from a dollar bin not long after it was released.
I was concerned that a lot of this would have to do with his time as a judge on one of those televised singing contests, but that only ended up being about one and a half of over 20 chapters. And I was glad to see that there was quite a bit on the 30+ years before anyone ever heard of LA Reid, when he was a drummer in obscure midwestern R&B groups (that didn't even have live drums on their records).
If there's a problem with this, it's that a lot of things are glossed over or not discussed in sufficient depth. Reid has a tendency to focus on his successes, some of which he didn't seem to have much to do with, and barely mention the groups he produced that ended up working at UPS alongside people who used to be signed to Bad Boy.
I was concerned that a lot of this would have to do with his time as a judge on one of those televised singing contests, but that only ended up being about one and a half of over 20 chapters. And I was glad to see that there was quite a bit on the 30+ years before anyone ever heard of LA Reid, when he was a drummer in obscure midwestern R&B groups (that didn't even have live drums on their records).
If there's a problem with this, it's that a lot of things are glossed over or not discussed in sufficient depth. Reid has a tendency to focus on his successes, some of which he didn't seem to have much to do with, and barely mention the groups he produced that ended up working at UPS alongside people who used to be signed to Bad Boy.
March 9, 2016
This was a cool book. The problem is every Memoir/Biography I read now will be compared to the amazing piece of art created by Michael Gerard Tyson.
I thought some of the stories were cool an informative but I also thought the Blumpkin he gave Jay-Z for 3 chapters was a bit much.
I also thought it was interesting how someone who has been in the music business that long didn't have stories about exorbitant amounts of drug use and/or amazing stories about time spent with ladies of the evening. Not that I enjoy reading those things. Who am I kidding we all love hearing those stories.
Overall it was a cool book but it wasn't as good as it could have been. There has to be more hellacious stories that were kept out.
I thought some of the stories were cool an informative but I also thought the Blumpkin he gave Jay-Z for 3 chapters was a bit much.
I also thought it was interesting how someone who has been in the music business that long didn't have stories about exorbitant amounts of drug use and/or amazing stories about time spent with ladies of the evening. Not that I enjoy reading those things. Who am I kidding we all love hearing those stories.
Overall it was a cool book but it wasn't as good as it could have been. There has to be more hellacious stories that were kept out.
Read
September 4, 2023Sing To Me
I’ve read a few auto-biographies this year and this one was pretty typical of what I’ve come to expect. I think I wanted to read this book because I may have seen a snippet somewhere and I was interested in finding out the “tea” about him and Pebbles. But the thing I’m learning is books like this will *never* give you much of anything juicy. Mostly it’ll just stick to “standard” stuff like the music. I’ll talk about all the songs they record and all the people they worked with. It’ll talk about their backgrounds and what led them to that point. All very interesting but if you want juicy stuff these books aren’t the place. Even tho it did give little drips of spilled tea. You just have to pick them out.
I lost track of LA Reid after the “LAFACE” era. As always it was fun to go back when a song was listed that he worked on and pull it up on YouTube. This man has produced some GOOD MUSIC! I Most of the ones mentioned I knew as LAFACE artists, but I did not know Outkast was on the label. That was surprising since you don’t typically think of LAFACE as being known for rap. There were a few things I picked up on. It didn’t go into him and Pebbles much but it did show her crazy side. It talked about her coming over to his place when he had Paula Abdul over and smashing all his glass furniture. I didn’t know she was married *before* she met him and fooled around with him (another drop). And that “Every Little Step” was written by him for her. If you also pay attention you’ll find another drop of tea. He wrote “In the Heat of the Moment” about a secretary he seduced in the bathroom (so he cheated).
I also found it interesting that he claimed he didn’t know what the Toni Braxton bankruptcy was all about and he was surprised by it. Hmm! He said that none of the artists were making anything (or much) back then. Now there’s something off about that. This is where if you have a new label your supposed to sit down with your artist (if you aren’t good at business and money you should hire someone who is) and go over what they should expect financially from the label so at the end of the day they don’t have false expectations/ They should definitely let the artist know that its all coming out of THEIR MONEY. (all the touring and the videos etc.),
I also wonder if Babyface has a book out because it was kind of “skimpy” about his eventual fall of from LAFACE merely just saying he started doing his own thing and he was more interested in the performance side. After a while, I stopped recognizing the artist (which shows how times change and how a lot of the era I knew became something I was no longer interested in). After he listed Justin Beirder is when it all went blank for me. I vaguely remembered that he was on X Factor. I may have seen a little of it. What else I slightly remember is Aaron’s Super Sweet 16. So overall I’d say it was interesting. It did give us a little more about his life than we may not have been aware of.
Rating: 7
I’ve read a few auto-biographies this year and this one was pretty typical of what I’ve come to expect. I think I wanted to read this book because I may have seen a snippet somewhere and I was interested in finding out the “tea” about him and Pebbles. But the thing I’m learning is books like this will *never* give you much of anything juicy. Mostly it’ll just stick to “standard” stuff like the music. I’ll talk about all the songs they record and all the people they worked with. It’ll talk about their backgrounds and what led them to that point. All very interesting but if you want juicy stuff these books aren’t the place. Even tho it did give little drips of spilled tea. You just have to pick them out.
I lost track of LA Reid after the “LAFACE” era. As always it was fun to go back when a song was listed that he worked on and pull it up on YouTube. This man has produced some GOOD MUSIC! I Most of the ones mentioned I knew as LAFACE artists, but I did not know Outkast was on the label. That was surprising since you don’t typically think of LAFACE as being known for rap. There were a few things I picked up on. It didn’t go into him and Pebbles much but it did show her crazy side. It talked about her coming over to his place when he had Paula Abdul over and smashing all his glass furniture. I didn’t know she was married *before* she met him and fooled around with him (another drop). And that “Every Little Step” was written by him for her. If you also pay attention you’ll find another drop of tea. He wrote “In the Heat of the Moment” about a secretary he seduced in the bathroom (so he cheated).
I also found it interesting that he claimed he didn’t know what the Toni Braxton bankruptcy was all about and he was surprised by it. Hmm! He said that none of the artists were making anything (or much) back then. Now there’s something off about that. This is where if you have a new label your supposed to sit down with your artist (if you aren’t good at business and money you should hire someone who is) and go over what they should expect financially from the label so at the end of the day they don’t have false expectations/ They should definitely let the artist know that its all coming out of THEIR MONEY. (all the touring and the videos etc.),
I also wonder if Babyface has a book out because it was kind of “skimpy” about his eventual fall of from LAFACE merely just saying he started doing his own thing and he was more interested in the performance side. After a while, I stopped recognizing the artist (which shows how times change and how a lot of the era I knew became something I was no longer interested in). After he listed Justin Beirder is when it all went blank for me. I vaguely remembered that he was on X Factor. I may have seen a little of it. What else I slightly remember is Aaron’s Super Sweet 16. So overall I’d say it was interesting. It did give us a little more about his life than we may not have been aware of.
Rating: 7
October 20, 2020
This one read like candy, and I thought that it might have been because of Joel Selvin, the long-time music writer, but I am not moved by any of his other titles, so it must really be because of what LA Reid means to me as a fan of music, and particularly, the soul of the artists that he has believed in.
My friend Wayne is wary, but he's always been Team Babyface, and I'm sure there is more to this story than is alluded to here, but there's no denying that LA has shaped contemporary music (and black music) in a crucial way.
I have been crying a lot about how music, and live music, will probably not be the same in our lifetime, and devouring this book yesterday, mostly at my hours-long student dentist appointment, I felt particularly sad for the fact that I was reading about the beginning of artists who should not have already met their end-Whitney, Michael Jackson, Prince, Left Eye...
I am also sad that I have never seen Outkast live, or when there was a sliver of hope to do so, they were already on the outs. I love that they are also LA's favourite group, and though I missed it, I am glad that they pulled him on stage with them to accept that award, even when he had been ousted from the label.
His relationships with women have always been interesting. I recognize the hustle in trying to charm women into paying your rent or driving their car as a broke musician. I think I bruised an ego in that ilk recently, but hey-I know who I am. The Pebbles jealously stuff is wild, as well as the Vanessa Williams and Paula Abdul incidents. I can't get over the fact that Bootsy Collins named Babyface, or that LA referred to himself as Face's "side bitch" that he could only call in the car.
Overall, if you love music, you will love this account of being driven, immersed, and controlled by music. We are mere vessels.
My friend Wayne is wary, but he's always been Team Babyface, and I'm sure there is more to this story than is alluded to here, but there's no denying that LA has shaped contemporary music (and black music) in a crucial way.
I have been crying a lot about how music, and live music, will probably not be the same in our lifetime, and devouring this book yesterday, mostly at my hours-long student dentist appointment, I felt particularly sad for the fact that I was reading about the beginning of artists who should not have already met their end-Whitney, Michael Jackson, Prince, Left Eye...
I am also sad that I have never seen Outkast live, or when there was a sliver of hope to do so, they were already on the outs. I love that they are also LA's favourite group, and though I missed it, I am glad that they pulled him on stage with them to accept that award, even when he had been ousted from the label.
His relationships with women have always been interesting. I recognize the hustle in trying to charm women into paying your rent or driving their car as a broke musician. I think I bruised an ego in that ilk recently, but hey-I know who I am. The Pebbles jealously stuff is wild, as well as the Vanessa Williams and Paula Abdul incidents. I can't get over the fact that Bootsy Collins named Babyface, or that LA referred to himself as Face's "side bitch" that he could only call in the car.
Overall, if you love music, you will love this account of being driven, immersed, and controlled by music. We are mere vessels.
August 25, 2019
Its amazing how certain aspects come back around in life with regards to production. The life of a producer is a fast game and making "the right" business decisions, connections while having the proper mindset and gritty hustle is everything. I'm grateful to have gotten around to reading this one. LA Reid definitely has an inspiring story and hearing how he overcame the obstacles and dramas. All this while managing key relationships with great effect is awesome and inspiring!
I really got a new look at labels and the relationships in the industry. He talked about all the hits and discovery of artist like Outkast and building up LaFace Records, DefJam with JayZ, and now Epic Records. This is one of those books where you could just chill and doing other thing while listening. It'll definitely take you down memory lane when he starts talking about Usher and how the move to Atlanta kick up momentum. He didn't hold back any punches and kept it💯 I like that the most.
I really got a new look at labels and the relationships in the industry. He talked about all the hits and discovery of artist like Outkast and building up LaFace Records, DefJam with JayZ, and now Epic Records. This is one of those books where you could just chill and doing other thing while listening. It'll definitely take you down memory lane when he starts talking about Usher and how the move to Atlanta kick up momentum. He didn't hold back any punches and kept it💯 I like that the most.
September 29, 2018
...as a fan of the new-jack swing music genre, I've always had a fond appreciation for what LA Reid created along with Babyface, I did not know they kind of parted ways with time. I've read this book to know more about what happened behind closed doors between Pebbles (one of my favourites) and TLC, but LA does not tell much.
He goes along narrating his transition from struggling musician to record producer and finally to record executive wich is very interesting but he has no talent for writing stories, the entire book is told with such boring nuance.
As succesful as LA became with time, he made some choices or signed some acts that I would have never have made or signed in a century, Meghan Trainor, really? suggest Pitbull for "On The Floor".
I forgive LA for any mistake he made just because he and Babyface gave me Pebbles's "Giving You The Benefit", a masterpiece.
He goes along narrating his transition from struggling musician to record producer and finally to record executive wich is very interesting but he has no talent for writing stories, the entire book is told with such boring nuance.
As succesful as LA became with time, he made some choices or signed some acts that I would have never have made or signed in a century, Meghan Trainor, really? suggest Pitbull for "On The Floor".
I forgive LA for any mistake he made just because he and Babyface gave me Pebbles's "Giving You The Benefit", a masterpiece.
August 23, 2018
this was a really fun book because it takes you back in time to the music I grew up listening to. it was fun to read about how Outkast was signed and then stop the book to listen to the songs la Reid references. TLC, usher, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Outkast, Avril Lavigne, pink, Mariah Carey, jayz, Kanye West, bieber, and so many more artists that he has produced, signed, or otherwise worked with.
aside from hearing about the cool stories of how some of my favorite artists got their start, hearing about how Reid reinvented himself over and over again throughout his career was really insightful.
aside from hearing about the cool stories of how some of my favorite artists got their start, hearing about how Reid reinvented himself over and over again throughout his career was really insightful.
April 26, 2019
This book is amazing. The way his story was told made me look into the music featured in the book with a much better understanding and light. I loved that it is honest. He did not only dwell on the wins but also included the struggles and the slow journey that made everything worth it in the end. It painted a picture of what it meant to be a musician who outgrew it and found something else in the process.
I find it fascinating to read about the man who discovered the artists who we have come to love and the man behind all those number one songs. I'm glad he gets to be the one on the spotlight this time.
I would recommend this book to a friend 100%.
I find it fascinating to read about the man who discovered the artists who we have come to love and the man behind all those number one songs. I'm glad he gets to be the one on the spotlight this time.
I would recommend this book to a friend 100%.
May 1, 2020
This is not a book I would normally pick for myself but I had received a copy at a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers that had been sitting on my self for years. Well with staying at home and not being able to work I figured it was time to finally read it and I'm glad I did. If you like music at all, literally any kind, Sing to Me is a book worth reading. There's so much more to the story behind your favorite songs and artist than you know and LA shares that with you. His passion constantly pushes him forward in his career amd reading his story it's clear why he has been so successful and respected in the music business.
July 18, 2018
I cidnt know much about LA Reid, but WOW!! What a great book about his interesting, genius talents and life!! He talks about it ALL! His relationship with Babyface, their brotherhood and personal lives...just a great read!!!
idnt know much about LA Reid, but WOW!! What a great book about his interesting, genius talents and life!! He talks about it ALL! His relationship with Babyface, their brotherhood and personal lives...just a GREAT read page turner!! Never boring.....such great info !! He is a master of records!!
idnt know much about LA Reid, but WOW!! What a great book about his interesting, genius talents and life!! He talks about it ALL! His relationship with Babyface, their brotherhood and personal lives...just a GREAT read page turner!! Never boring.....such great info !! He is a master of records!!
July 5, 2023
I had never heard of this guy before his stint as a judge on the tv show X Factor. He has led a very interesting life as the guy that discovered some of the most well known musical talents and biggest selling records of our time. He has produced Beyonce, Kanye, Avril Lavigne, Justine Bieber, just to name a few. It was interesting to read about the music industry by someone who is mostly behind the scenes.
June 21, 2018
LA Reid’s Story
LA Reid paints an intimate picture of his life before and after celebrity. He provides an interesting behind the scenes portrait of life in the music industry. The songs and artists he outlines provided the soundtrack of my life, and kept my interest in his narrative.
LA Reid paints an intimate picture of his life before and after celebrity. He provides an interesting behind the scenes portrait of life in the music industry. The songs and artists he outlines provided the soundtrack of my life, and kept my interest in his narrative.
September 26, 2018
A good book that was relatively balanced for an authorized memoir.
I was surprised that the book spent so much ink praising Reid’s brief working relationship with Jay-Z and so little recounting his long, history-making partnership with Babyface at LaFace Records.
My favorite part was Reid describing his reaction the first time TLC’s Waterfalls was played for him.
I was surprised that the book spent so much ink praising Reid’s brief working relationship with Jay-Z and so little recounting his long, history-making partnership with Babyface at LaFace Records.
My favorite part was Reid describing his reaction the first time TLC’s Waterfalls was played for him.
October 28, 2019
As a younger fan of music, I had no clue how much L.A Reid has done for the music industry. I've obviously heard of his name, but hearing the stories about how he helped so many people throughout the industry was compelling. From being in a band to song-writing to partnering with Jay-Z; L.A Reid is a behind the scenes man who has been a key part in the evolvement of music.
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