The world according to LA.

Island Def Jam boss Antonio "LA" Reid has overseen some of the biggest musical careers of the past two decades. This year he will attempt to strike second time lucky with Mariah Carey and deliver the success that has recently eluded Janet Jackson

On January 15 Terra Firma head Guy Hands, the man charged with turning the fortunes of EMI around, gathered his staff at the Odeon Cinema in West London and delivered his new and at times revolutionary vision for the company.

The following day Island Def Jam chairman Antonio "LA" Reid stood in front of representatives from Universal's European territories and a selection of British media at the Mayfair Theatre to reveal two of the label's biggest Q2 priorities; Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.

Dressed casually in jeans, a white shirt and blazer, the Grammy-winning record executive, who has guided the careers of artists such as TLC, Usher, Avril Lavigne and Dido to multi-platinum success, was in an upbeat mood, getting lost in the music and talking enthusiastically about the creative process behind the new albums.

"We should clap," he told the audience. "We should clap because we just played music, and yesterday there was a very big company meeting in a theatre over the other side of town where they didn't play music. A music company - or it used to be."

The timing, intentional or not, was perhaps all the more prudent given the history of the two artists Reid was presenting. Mariah Carey will this year deliver her second album for Island Def Jam, the label she signed to in 2002 following a disappointing period with Virgin Records. Carey signed with Virgin in April 2001 for close to $82m (#41.9m) but, following a disappointing performance of the Glitter movie and soundtrack, EMI cut its losses and paid Carey $28m (#14.3m) to sever ties. The Emancipation Of Mimi, her subsequent debut for Island Def Jam, has since sold more than 10m copies globally.

Jackson signed to Island Def Jam last year in the wake of two consecutive commercial disappointments: 2004's Damita Jo and 2006's 20 YO. Reid is adamant, however, that Virgin's failure will be his own success.