A great leader has the unique ability to admit when he’s wrong.
Without this ability you suffer the fate of Napoleon and end up dead on
your way to Russia.
I was wrong about my assessment of Chairman Reid. After I stopped
being all Carl Thomas emotional and things like that, I thought about
the facts. Fact is L.A Reid was there when I was locked, a few feet away
from death row and the Black Panthers. L.A. was on the visit floor on
Rikers Island looking at me through them blinding bars, showing me he
believed in that gang boy revolutionary music I make. A bond forged at
the nadir of suffering [that’s] unbreakable. That’s why I chose L.A.
Reid over all the other distributors. We already went through it. I’ll
never forget what L.A. did for me behind that b-wall. Caged like an
animal, stripped of all my rights; he gave me freedom— freedom to follow
my vision. Freedom to make my momma smile after so many tears and
sleepless nights weeping for her baby boy like Rachel the matriarch
weeps for the Israelites.
We have to have perspective on the legend [that] L.A. Reid is. 100
million records sold!!! Some of the biggest artists and musicians in the
history of popular music have been discovered, mentored or produced by
L.A.! Sean Combs and Jermaine Dupri made the biggest hits in music under
L.A.’s tutelage. Shyne Po sold almost a million copies from Clinton
Maximum Facility with the help of Chairman Reid. Son is one of the best
in music—period. More than that, he was the dude that got on the PJ and
paid homage to the chief when I was in that cell in them state greens
dodging informants and banging on anything that opposed.
I’m loyal to a fault! F#ck it!!! I’m rolling with L.A. “100 Million
Sold” Reid ‘til Supreme comes home and runs the rodents outta Queens,
N.Y. I’m in it ‘til Sherm “Jonathan Jackson” Worm wins appeal and sits
on the throne in Queensbridge. ‘Til Hasan Miller walks out the feds and
hops in that four-door Bugatti.
Along with Berry [Gordy], Quincy [Jones] and Russell [Simmons], L.A.
Reid opened the door and paved the way for Africans and Latinos to
become music moguls and pop culture juggernauts instead of inmates on
death row. I pray one day I could discover the next Usher, Toni Braxton,
TLC and OutKast; grow the careers of Bon Jovi, The Killers, Pink and
legends like Mariah. L.A. Reid has accomplished what most in music never
will. Transcending racial barriers before Obama and making music that
moves the planet! Put the horse in the bag! If you with me, partner,
scream Gangland!!!
“I’m dope boy fresh, Geronimo Pratt. Statue of Liberty sittin’ on my
lap, pedal to the floor engine in the back, somebody gotta do it! Mr.
Cee light a match!!!Originally published on XXLmag.com