WORDS BY SHYNE PO:
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!!!