L.A. Reid Talks A&R Eye, Usher's 'Steel Eyes' and Sean Combs' Work Ethic

By Andrew Flanagan

Former X Factor mentor and current Epic Records CEO and president L.A. Reid sat down with NewsOne for a short series of interviews about the principals that led to his success, the current state of the industry and black music, and what it takes to succeed as a musician.

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"I spent many years working with Kanye West, and the truth is I was quiet most of those days, because there was so much to be learned from him." 

Reid also spoke off Usher's success, which he predicted when the singer was only 14 years old. "I saw someone who's willing to work harder at it than anyone else... and I saw that on the first day I met him."
"I don't think that the greatest talent on earth, in music, are the people we hear on the radio and the people we see on TV. Those are the people that work the hardest." Reid cited Sean Combs as an example of the phenomenon. "There are probably guys who can rap better and dance harder."

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Reid also lamented what he sees as a deficit of forward-thinking black music, citing the success of Adele and Sam Smith as evidence of that changing landscape. "I can say a lot of things, some of them that wouldn't be politically correct."