And the image development aspect is also a strength it shares with Motown.Īdds George: "Atlanta is the most important city today in the black music business, and a key city in bringing back R&B, mainly because of LaFace."īut even while the Motown comparisons are inevitable, the company - industry insiders say it is worth between $250 million and $300 million - is aiming even higher. "The diversity is really remarkable when I look at other labels like Philly International and Solar, which basically had one sound. "The thing about Motown is that it had a wide range of talents and LaFace is showing that now, " says Nelson George, author, screenwriter and former R&B Billboard columnist. It also has become a paragon of African-American business, a sort of junior Motown that develops its own talent, such as the rap group Outkast, instead of dabbling in the high-priced marketplace of famous free-agent talent (although Reid/Edmonds have produced Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown and other big-name acts outside the LaFace fold). ![]() In less than half a decade, LaFace has helped establish Atlanta as a record-producing hot spot, indelibly linking the city with such musical superstars as Toni Braxton and TLC in the minds of their fans. But even as LaFace pauses to look back at how it became one of the country's most successful record companies, its leaders are looking toward diversification and surviving the recent production-team split of founders and co-owners Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Next month Atlanta's LaFace Records celebrates its fifth anniversary. My family likes the beach, so I like going to the beach, sitting in the shade and watching them enjoy the sun. Otherwise, I like to play with my children. ![]() : "I like to watch movies, although I want to make movies, so it won't be a hobby long. And you also have a major impact on their life." I was always into the underdog because I always felt you make a significant contribution when you do something for someone who's starting at the beginning. And I think my partner, at the time, who really loves music, has more of a love for established artists. ![]() And I'd like to think that I havea knack for picking who I think is the next star. and Babyface production team: "I think my biggest influence was I always spotted the new people that we should.
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