Why L.A. Reid Places Jay Z In The Same League As Mandela And Obama

Jay Z better brush his shoulders off because he's in a league with some greats, according to music mogul L.A. Reid. 

Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid hired Hov to lead Def Jam Recordings in 2004 and has been consistently impressed with his rise in the music industry, he told HuffPost Live on Thursday. Reid, who details his work with Jay Z in his new memoir Sing to Me , placed the artist among the best people he's ever encountered. 

"Jay Z is on this very short list of people that I find to be the greatest men that I've ever met," he told host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani . "On that list are Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Jay Z. That's my list of when I walk into a room or if they walk into a room, I know that I'm among the greats."

Reid said the Brooklyn-bred rapper's talent and industry knowledge supersede the term "triple threat."

"I don't even know. I think there's more threats than that," he said. "[He's] the most talented rapper. No one can rap better than Jay Z. Sorry, but no one can. No one is as astute [of] a businessman. No one is more charming in a room. No one's a better friend. And he's a guy's guy. He's phenomenal."

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with L.A. Reid here . 

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