Antonio “L.A.” Reid will leave his post as chairman of Island Def Jam to become a judge on Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor,” according to Billboard.com.
Reid reportedly accepted an offer from Simon Cowell this week to join the show, which will begin airing in September on Fox. Reid’s contract with Def Jam was due to expire in December.
Island Def Jam will continue to be run by Steve Bartels. Barry Weiss, who is joining Universal Music Group this month, is expected to take on oversight of Island Def Jam.
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Reid is a three-time Grammy Award-winning executive, songwriter and record producer. He has been credited with signing acts such as Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kanye West, TLC, Usher, OutKast and a slew of other successful artists.
Several months ago, Reid was criticized by G.O.O.D. Music emcee Big Sean, who claimed Reid doesn’t understand Hip Hop.
