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Jermaine Dupri (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1972) is an African-American record producer and rapper.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born in Asheville, North Carolina. He grew up in the College Park community of Atlanta, Georgia. Dupri was first introduced to the music business by his father, a concert promoter and manager of rap and R&B groups, at an early age. He dropped his last name as a teenager and started out as a breakdancer for artists such as Diana Ross and Cameo. Dupri became the youngest charting producer in the history of music at age 14. He went on to produce a number of hits for platinum artists such as TLC, Jay-Z, and Ludacris.
Music career
From DG Jermaine Dupri is the founder, President and CEO of his own label, So So Def Records, which has been the home to several artists such as Da Brat, Jagged Edge, and Xscape. Juvenile rap acts such as Kris Kross and Bow Wow have been some of his biggest successes; Dupri earned significant amounts of songwriting royalties by ghostwriting for such acts.
In addition, Dupri has pursued a recording career of his own, which has resulted in hits such as "Money Ain't A Thing" (1998, with Jay-Z), "Welcome to Atlanta" (2001, with Ludacris) and "Get Your Number" (2005, with Mariah Carey), and "Gotta Getcha" featuring Johnta Austin. He became involved with a dispute between Eminem and Dr. Dre in 2002.
So So Def, a label specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B, and bass music, was originally distributed through Sony Entertainment/Columbia Records. In 2003, Dupri was appointed president of Arista Black Music and moved So So Def and its artists there. In 2004, Dupri was appointed Executive Vice President of Urban Music at Virgin Records and moved So So Def over to Virgin. Meanwhile, Dupri also expanded his business ventures, buying into Chicago-based distillery 3 Vodka and opening his own boutique restaurant, Cafe Dupri.
In 2004 and 2005, Dupri worked with R&B singers Usher and Mariah Carey on their releases, Confessions and The Emancipation of Mimi (the top-selling albums of 2004 and 2005) respectively. He produced some of the biggest hits of those years including "Burn", "Confessions, Pt. 2" and the remix featuring Kanye West, Shyne, and Twista, and "My Boo" with Usher and "It's Like That", "We Belong Together", "Shake It Off", "Get Your Number", and "Don't Forget About Us" with Carey. He produced the hit track "Radio" for young R&B sensation Jarvis, but didn't release the album because his label was in transition with the distributor. He has also scored hit singles with J-Kwon ("Tipsy"), Dem Franchize Boyz and many more. He also worked with St. Louis rappers, Nelly, Chingy, & St. Lunatics.
Dupri's 2005 single, "Gotta Getcha" featuring Johnta Austin, is featured on the July 2005 release Jermaine Dupri presents...Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol. 1. The album is a compilation of tracks produced by and featuring Jermaine Dupri. So far, "Gotta Getcha" has peaked at #60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The controversial music video for the song features his girlfriend, singer Janet Jackson, in a x-rated peep show club. Dupri is also working with Jackson on her new album titled 20 Years Old, scheduled to be released in September, 2006.
Dupri continues to produce and deliver guest appearances for today's hottest artists. He has worked from many of the major artists ranging all the way from Jay-Z ("Money Ain't A Thang"), Ludacris ("Welcome To Atlanta") to Warren G ("Havin' Thangs"). His current roster as of April 2006 includes Young Capone, Dem Franchize Boyz, Da Kid Slim, Daz (aka Daz Dillinger & Dat Nigga Daz), T. Waters, and Johnta Austin. He plans on dropping Daz's album, tentatively titled "So So Gangsta," late in 2006. Daz's album is to include production by Dupri, Scott Storch and Daz.
Singer Monica's new album, A Dozen Roses features production from Jermaine Dupri with the lead single "Everytime Tha Beat Drop".
Feuds
Dupri had a minor feud with famous hip-hop producer Dr. Dre in 2002. In an interview, Dupri claimed that he did more complete work on production than either Dre or Timbaland. Dre proceeded to diss Dupri on Eminem's track "Say What You Say" from The Eminem Show, namely with the lines, "Over 80 million records sold/And I ain't have to do it with ten or eleven-year olds." The song ends with a recording of Timbaland saying, "Yo, this Timbaland/Tell him I said he can suck
Dupri replied to the Dr. Dre and Eminem diss with an underground track called "JD's Reply" which he leaked to the internet. On the track, he implies Dr. Dre is a homosexual and calls him a "gayass mark." Dupri states that Dre is not doing any work in the studio and other producers are ghost-producing for him and makes remarks referring to Dre using the same style of beats on his production. Dupri talks about how he was making tons of money as a teenager. At the end of the track, he says, "If you come at me again, I'm gonna come back at you three times harder." He compares Eminem to a character in Disney World.
After "JD's reply" was released, the previously mentioned track "My Name" by Xzibit featuring Eminem and Nate Dogg was released on Xzibit's album "Man Vs. Machine". In the last verse of this track Eminem rips in to Dupri, since this track was released, Dupri has not replied.
Discography
Albums
- Life in 1472 (1998) #3 US Platinum
- Instructions (2001) #15 US Gold
Compilations
- Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol. 1 (2005) #43 US
Singles
Songs listed here are chart singles on which Dupri was namechecked, either as the main or featured performer.| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 1998 | "Money Ain't a Thang" (with Jay-Z) | #52 | #10 | #28 | - | Life in 1472 |
| 1998 | "Sweetheart" (with Mariah Carey) | - | - | - | - | Life in 1472 |
| 1998 | "The Party Continues" | #29 | #14 | #6 | - | Life in 1472 |
| 1999 | "Going Home With Me" | - | #57 | - | - | Life in 1472 |
| 2000 | "I've Got to Have It"" (featuring Nas & Monica) | - | #67 | #15 | - | Big Momma's House Soundtrack |
| 2001 | "Ballin' Out of Control" | #95 | #42 | #14 | - | Instructions |
| 2002 | "Welcome to Atlanta" (featuring Ludacris) | #35 | #15 | #14 | - | Instructions |
| 2002 | "Girlfriend" (Alicia Keys featuring JD) | - | #82 | - | #24 | Songs in A Minor |
| 2005 | "Gotta Getcha" | #60 | #31 | #15 | #54 | Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol. 1 |
| 2005 | "Oh I Think Dey Like Me" (Dem Franchize Boyz featuring JD, Da Brat & Bow Wow) | #15 | #1 | #1 | - | Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol. 1 |
| 2005 | "Get Your Number" (Mariah Carey feat. JD) | - | - | - | #9 | The Emancipation of Mimi |
| 2005 | "Fresh Azimiz" (Bow Wow featuring J-Kwon & JD) | #32 | #13 | #6 | - | Wanted |
| 2006 | "Feelin' You" (3LW featuring JD) | TBA | TBA | TBA | - | Point Of No Return |
External links
1972 births | Living people | African American musicians | American music industry executives | American rappers | American record producers | Hip hop producers | Rhythmic Top 40 acts | People from North Carolina | Atlanta rap artists
Jermaine Dupri | Jermaine Dupri | Jermaine Dupri | Jermaine Dupri
"Jermaine Dupri"