Epic Records chairman and CEO L.A. Reid's upcoming memoir, Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next, is sure to have tons of juicy bits about the world that Reid has existed in and helped curate for the past almost 50 years. In fact, he's already released an excerpt from the book, set for release next month. According to the description on Amazon, the memoir is supposed to come with over 100 photos that have never been seen and promises to depict the record exec's "struggles, his success and the celebrated artists that made him a legend." One such artist is Rihanna, the young girl with the "laser eyes" that he met through Jay Z when she was 17 years old and nearly underestimated. Reid was the chairman of Island Def Jam at the time.
"She opened her audition with a Beyoncé song, singing, but the whole time piercing me with these laser eyes," Reid wrote. "I saw her determination, her commitment. I saw someone who was going to be a big star someday. My head was spinning. She sang another song, 'Pon De Replay,' that would become her first hit. After she was done, I looked at Jay Z. 'Don't let her leave the building,' I said."
Rihanna was signed, but was considered a low maintenance artist and not a priority-not in comparison to the dynamic pint-sized powerhouse, Teairra Mari, who was signed at around the same time. "At the label, we thought Teairra Mari would be the big star," Reid recalls. "We spent more time on her, did more work on her, paid more attention to her. Rihanna already had a hit with 'Pon De Replay,' but we still thought it was the other girl."
It was only after a new artist showcase, featuring now well-known artist Ne-Yo and girl group Black Buddafly (which featured Love & Hip Hop star Amina Buddafly and her twin sister), that something clicked for Reid—with the help of another superstar who knew a thing or two about talent.
"A bell went off for me, however, when, after the showcase, Beyoncé came up to me. 'That Rihanna girl,' she said, 'She's a beast.'" Beyoncé clearly wasn't wrong, as Rihanna's star continues to "Shine Bright Like a Diamond," with over 200 million records sold worldwide. Mari, on the other hand, has gone from "Make Her Feel Good" success reality show fame as a castmember on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. Reminisce with us on early Mari's work below.
