Jermaine Dupri

Curren$y & Jermaine Dupri Set Release Date For “For Motivational Use Only”

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Curren$y and Jermaine Dupri are the duo we never knew we needed. Over the past two years, the Southern titans have hinted at a joint project. However, they began to provide fans with a bit of insight into what they cooked up last week. The two rappers delivered a spectacular performance on “From The Block” where they debuted “Never Enough.” Then, they offloaded their first official single from the project, “Essence Fest” on Friday. The single serves as an ode to NOLA and the regional sound of bounce that emerged from it.

Both singles provided fans with some insight into what to expect, though fans won’t be waiting much longer for their full-length LP. This morning, Curren$y and Jermaine Dupri appeared on Twitter Spaces with Elliott Wilson where they confirmed a release date for their upcoming project, For Motivational Use Only. “Since everybody’s been asking when the album coming out… 404,” JD confirmed. “The date of this album is on 4/04. That’s Spitta’s birthday.” Curren$y added, “That’s 404 day for Atlanta and my birthday for the whole muthafuckin’ world.”

Curren$y & Jermaine Dupri Plot On Part 2

Spitta and Jermaine Dupri already confirmed that they have almost 40 songs loaded for the upcoming trilogy. However, it seems like we won’t be waiting long for the second installment of For Motivational Use Only. In correspondence of 504 day in New Orleans, JD suggested the follow-up could arrive a month later. “He just talked to me about dropping another record on 5/04,” JD said. “Yeah, so we dropping on muthafuckin’ Atlanta day, 4/04. Even though that’s my birthday, I want my damn area code to have some music,” Curren$y added.

With a trilogy in the works, Curren$y, who released a tribute song to Jermaine Dupri in the past, explained that they want to bring music that will speak directly to the go-getters. “You’re going to be pushed to get money, to count that money, invest that money wisely, and then once you flipped it once or two times, then maybe get yourself a little something and then continue and rinse and repeat. That’s what it’s about,” Spitta told Vibe. Check out the announcement above.

Jermaine Dupri And Curren$y Join SXM/Pandora For Playback Series In Atlanta

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On Thursday, February 23rd, Sirius XM and Pandora Music brought back their famous playback series at their new office in Atlanta, Georgia. The event highlighted a conversation with Jermaine Dupri and Curren$y, moderated by Torae. 

Dupri discussed his life and musical legacy. He opened up on the significance of tracks “Welcome To Atlanta”, “Jump”, “Money Ain’t A Thing”, “Pressure” by Ari Lennox, and “I Think They Like Me”. The conversation revealed that Dupri and Curren$y are working on a project together. 

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It was a large event with over one hundred eighty people in attendance from media personalities, college students, and influencers. DJ Suga Shae provided the 1s and 2s for the large crowd. Congresswoman Nikema Williams from Georgia’s 5th district addressed the crowd at the start of the event. The event was produced by the Vice President of SXM/Pandora Music Programming, Josh “J1” Raiford.

At the end of the event J1 presented Jermaine Dupri w/ a Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Trailblazer Award on behalf of SXM/Pandora

Hip Hop Nation’s Torae, said “Celebrating thirty years of So So Def in Atlanta with Jermaine Dupri was really an amazing experience. His track record and list of hits are legendary. Curren$y being there and being excited about the music they’re about to drop together is a testament to JD’s longevity. I was honored to have moderated such a monumental moment. Shout out to J1 and the entire SXM Pandora team for putting together this historic Playback event.”  

PHOTOS: Getty/ Prince Williams

The post Jermaine Dupri And Curren$y Join SXM/Pandora For Playback Series In Atlanta appeared first on The Source.

Jermaine Dupri Reflects On Him & Jay-Z Trying To Sign 2 Chainz & His Shocking Response

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Jermaine Dupri recently told a remarkable star about how he and Jay-Z tried to sign 2 Chainz and his surprising response. Moreover, the multi-hyphenate artist spoke on his experience with I Am Athlete and spoke about how Chainz’s response affected him. Perhaps that isn’t the right word, but the fact that he refused to sign with him and Hov as a teen left Dupri quite surprised. Furthermore, the Georgia MC told Dupri something that he hasn’t seen much since then. However, he also spoke on how it could’ve been a missed opportunity, considering Jermaine’s success at helping other young artists break through.

“I tried to sign 2 Chainz one day,” the Asheville, North Carolina-born entrepreneur began. “It’s crazy because me and Jay-Z– I was in Jay-Z’s office one day. I call 2 Chainz, I’m like ‘Yo, me and Hov wanna sign you.’ He was like- he said, ‘OG, respectfully, it’s a young man’s game.’ And I said… ‘You do know who you’re talking to, right?’ So when somebody say that to me, I’m trying to find out where they got that from. Because the only two successful teenage n***as to ever come out in hip-hop came from me. Bow Wow came ten years after Kris Kross, and he was the same age. He was 12. When I put them out, they was 11 and 12.”

Jermaine Dupri Shocked By 2 Chainz Refusing To Sign With Jay-Z

Still, his comments aren’t necessarily unfounded, as he went on to detail how instrumental he was to Bow Wow and Kris Kross’s come up. “I brought that energy to Hip-Hop,” he expressed. “There has never been anybody younger than Kris Kross and Bow Wow, that sold more records than Kris’s Kross and Bow Wow. There was no ‘lil’s’ before Bow Wow.” Also, he spoke on how his idea for BET’s popular music video countdown series 106 & Park helped Bow Wow succeed.

“106 & Park was created by me,” he remarked. “I went to Stephen Hill at BET and told him, ‘Listen. MTV has a TV show called TRL. They let the Backstreet Boys, and N’SYNC, and all these boys come on there and that’s they[‘re] show. I said ‘Yo, we need this in Black music.’ He ain’t know what Bow Wow was gonna be. We put out ‘Bounce With Me’ and they created 106 & Park. “That’s why I named Bow Wow ‘Mr. 106 & Park,’ because I created the show. I basically told them ‘You gotta do this.’” For more hip-hop stories from Jermaine Dupri and more leaders, stick around on HNHH for the latest revelations.

Jermaine Dupri Doubles Down On 106 & Park Statement

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So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri has continued to appear on a string of podcasts throughout his latest press run. In December, the esteemed label head visited The Goats And Underdogs show to speak on his longtime career when Bow Wow was brought up. Dupri, who was an essential component in Bow’s rise to fame, alleged he created the legendary 106 & Park show for the young rhymer. BET’s popular 2000’s music video countdown series was originally hosted by personalities A.J. Calloway and Free Marie. Bow Wow began hosting after a search for A.J. and Free’s replacements in October 2012.

The VERZUZ performer doubled down on the statement in his latest interview with the I Am Athlete podcast. The goated musician retold the story of how he went to BET’s now-former Music Programming lead to discuss a new show. “106 & Park was created by me,” Jermaine Dupri reminds the cast. “I went to Stephen Hill at BET and told him, ‘Listen. MTV has a TV show called TRL. They let the Backstreet Boys, and N’SYNC, and all these boys come on there and that’s they[‘re] show. I said ‘Yo, we need this in Black music.’” When asked by Hill who he thought would be up for the task, Dupri didn’t hesitate to throw Lil Bow Wow’s name in the hat.

Jermaine Dupri Stands On 106 & Park Comments

”He ain’t know what Bow Wow was gonna be. We put out ‘Bounce With Me’ and they created 106 & Park,” Jermaine Dupri continues. “That’s why I named Bow Wow ‘Mr. 106 & Park,’ because I created the show. I basically told them ‘You gotta do this.’” Upon hearing the news, Bow Wow denied Dupri’s involvement completely, which sparked outrage from former label mate Da Brat. The rapper blasted Bow “for being so rude and disrespectful” towards the man who made him a “complete star.”

Towards the end of the clip, Jermaine Dupri adds that he ”brought young n***as to Hip-Hop.” “I brought that energy to Hip-Hop. There has never been anybody younger than Kris Kross and Bow Wow, that sold more records than Kris’s Kross and Bow Wow.” Despite their back and forth, Dupri still believes Bow doesn’t receive enough recognition for kicking off “lil” artists. His list cites Chris Brown, Omarion, and even Lil Uzi Very. “There was no ‘lil’s’ before Bow Wow,” he ends.

[Via]

Big Gipp Says ATL Producers “Gon’ Smoke” NYC: “[They] Ain’t Had A TLC, Usher, Or Jagged Edge”

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After clarifying his remarks about Beyoncé and Jay-Z, more has emerged from Big Gipp’s interview with The Art of Dialogue. The Goodie Mobb icon has a plethora of stories from his long-standing career. It isn’t uncommon for him to revisit those moments, as well as deliver opinions on the current state of Hip Hop. For months, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jermaine Dupri have playfully beefed over their purported Verzuz, but now, it looks like it will come to fruition. If Gipp was betting on who would reign victorious, he believes the So So Def founder would outdo Diddy.

“He got a whole buncha records Puff don’t even know he produced,” Gipp said of Dupri. “That’s be real, bro. Like, at the end of the day, Puff’s just [sings ‘I Need a Girl’]. That’s Loon, right? That was the last big Puff record. C’mon, man. Stop it with that sh*t, bruh.” Gipp further mentioned Dupri having a No. 1 record with Ari Lennox’s “Pressure.” He added, “That he wrote and produced! Not bought somebody’s sh*t, put my name on it, then hooked it up.

Gipp Argues Atlanta Producers & Artists Are Better Than New York
Jermaine Dupri and Big Gipp of Goodie Mobb during 12th Annual Music Midtown Festival – Day 1 – Backstage and Audience at Midtown and Downtown Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. ***Exclusive*** (Photo by R. Diamond/WireImage)

“Y’all can use them as your cheat code, but at the end of the day, if you put them Atlanta producers against a lot of producers that they say [are] great, Atlanta gon’ smoke they ass. From the writing to producing to putting it together. Atlanta just gon’ smoke they ass. It just is what it is. And they don’t want to admit that. New York just—right now, they got a goddamn—they just tryin’ to keep that sh*t lookin’ pretty a little bit. And the ones that got some money, look how they sh*tted on Nas. They just now messin’ with Nas the right way ’cause Nas went and got some money outside the music business. Now it’s cool to like Nas.”

“But when it wasn’t cool, it was about Jay and Jay money. C’mon, man. When you go and get some money, then everybody change they attitude about how they deal with you.” Gipp further said that “New York ain’t even got an Usher” or Jagged Edge. “They ain’t had a TLC. The only thing they got is a Mary J. Blige, and she ain’t touching Toni Braxton as far as record sales. C’mon, man. Atlanta had the music groups. We still got 112 that helped Bad Boy become what Bad Boy is! And you disrespect them. You never see them at any Bad Boy reunion concerts. Where they at?”

Fans Weigh In On Gipp’s Take

As expected, reactions to Gipp’s comments have been a mixed bag. Those who have long admired Atlanta’s contributions to Hip Hop and R&B have agreed. However, those who stand by New York’s impact believe Gipp is discrediting areas where the inception of Hip Hop began. Check out the clip of his interview above and let us know what you think of Big Gipp’s comments on the East Coast and South.

Swizz Beatz Gives Verzuz Update, Jermaine Dupri Confirms Diddy Match-Up

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There has been a lull on the Verzuz front for some time as Timbaland, Swizz Beaz, and their team map out their next steps. During the 2020 quarantine, the world was under lock and key due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. People found solace through connecting in new ways via social media, and Verzuz emerged as a thriving concept. Tens of millions of people tuned in to watch their favorite artists revisit classic tracks. Icons and legends received their flowers, and many also earned a massive increase in streaming numbers.

However, Verzuz was growing faster than anyone could imagine. Soon, the at-home virtual performances—or just artists in their home studios—became huge productions. Tickets were sold, crowds were gathered, and a new era of Verzuz was upon us. The Triller deal upped the ante, but there was a legal hiccup that caused Verzuz to take a pause. In a new interview with Revolt, Swizz offered an update about the series.

Read More: Sheek Louch Says He’s Glad Styles P & Cam’ron’s Heated “Verzuz” Moment Didn’t Escalate

“We’ve been changing the infrastructure because when we started, it happened in the garage and then moved to a significant platform,” he said. “Now, we changed the whole way we’re moving but not entirely, so people won’t feel like it’s not the same. We have a fantastic lineup with people they wanted to see and even battles they think wouldn’t happen. Announcements will be coming soon.”

Elsewhere, Jermaine Dupri was making some confirmations of his own. He recently visited the I Am Athlete podcast, where he mentioned rumors about him and Diddy facing off on Verzuz. The two hitmaking producers have teased the pairing in the past, even (playfully) going at it on Livestream about who would take the crown. Although Dupri has said this Verzuz would never come to fruition, he now claims we can expect to see the show this year.

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 13: Sean Combs and Jermaine Dupri attend Revolt Weekend Kickoff at Allure on September 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Read More: Tony Yayo Says 50 Cent Will “Never Do A ‘Verzuz’”

It’s unclear if this is a Durpi vs. Diddy show or a So So Def vs. Bad Boy extravaganza. We’re sure there will be a little bit of both, considering Dupri and Diddy are both artists and producers, and their reaches go far beyond their own labels. It will be an interesting one for Hip Hop, and a celebration unlike any other Verzuz has produced. Who are you rooting for in a Jermaine Dupri vs. Diddy match?

Jermaine Dupri Argues Southern Rap Fans Didn’t Know Jay-Z Until “Money Ain’t A Thang”

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Jay-Z’s status as a bonafide legend has been in the line of questioning recently. Following Billboard top 50 greatest rappers list– which Jay-Z topped – some felt as though it wasn’t necessarily an accurate reflection. Others felt there was an East Coast bias due to the exclusion of legends from other regions. Big Gipp recently explained how he felt as though Jay-Z wasn’t as big as 50 Cent or DMX in their prime.

It seems as though the sentiment regarding Jay extends across the South. Though NYC is the mecca of hip-hop, cities like Atlanta developed their own sound that spoke to their experiences. That said, Jay-Z apparently struggled to gain prominence in the South during the late 90s and early 2000s. Dupri sat down on the I Am Athlete podcast where he said that Southern rap fans weren’t familiar with Jay-Z. “People that worked for me back then, I was telling them ‘yo listen, there’s rappers in New York that n****s in Atlanta don’t never hear,” he said. 

Jermaine Dupri Says “Money Ain’t A Thang” Helped Jay-Z Pop Down South

J.D. explained that strip clubs largely dictated the music that played in Atlanta. Through this environment, fans found music that reflected the regional sound more than anything. He said even Jay-Z wasn’t necessarily receiving much play in these spaces in Atlanta until they worked together on “Money Ain’t A Thang.” “I got n****s from my hood that didn’t never listen to Jay-Z til’ I made ‘Money Ain’t A Thang.’ This is people that told me this, not me. That’s not me saying this,” he said. 

He continued, “I knew who Jay-Z was or I wouldn’t have put him on my song. I’m saying that to say I knew who Jay-Z was, but the area, right?”He related this to the brief debacle surrounding 21 Savage, who claimed that Nas wasn’t relevant. JD said he wasn’t shocked by what 21 said because he knew that a lot of people in Atlanta aren’t listening to music outside of their environment. “When you walk outside and you hear these cars driving down the street they not playing Nas. They playing whatever the ghetto n**** is that’s hot right now,” he added. Check the clip above. 

Jermaine Dupri Shuts Down Critics Who Say He Isn’t Relevant Anymore

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Jermaine Dupri on Current State of Female Rap: 'It's Like Strippers Rapping'

Jermain Durpi is a legend, in both the hip-hop and R&B world, and should be treated as such. However, it seems as if he’s heard enough of people disputing his relevancy. The legendary producer recently went on the I Am Athlete podcast where he shut down critics who doubt his relevancy in 2023.

“I done heard niggas say, ‘JD ain’t relevant no more.’ I’ve had a hit record every year that you can think of – you just don’t even really realize it,” JD said. He then went on to list the songs he put out in 2021 and 2020.

“DVSN – ‘If I Get Caught.’ Ari Lennox, ‘Pressure,” he said. “2020 was Usher and Ella Mai. By the way, if you from the rap world and you listening to only trap music, then you gon’ be like, ‘JD ain’t made no music.’ Cause you ain’t listening to R&B music. You don’t know. Matter fact – I left something out. I put out Anthony Hamilton album last year.”

He added: “So I’m saying, if you not really into what’s going on, you might have missed it. So you can say what you want to say, but that’s a reckless statement for you to put it out there unless you know what’s happening.”

Dupri’s focus in R&B instead of hip-hop might be the reason some people are disputing his relevancy in 2023. However, Dupri has been vocal about his critique of current rap music. About a month ago, Dupri said in an interview that hip hop is “hurting” and needs reviving. He went on to say how Atlanta, who has been at the top of rap for two decades, used to have 5 or 6 artists popping at the same time. However, over time that number has dwindled to two, those rappers being Lil Baby and Future.

“I feel like Hip-Hop is definitely hurting and needs reviving,” JD said. “I have to go ahead and say this: For the last 20 years Atlanta’s always had at least five to six top rappers at one time. Right now, Atlanta’s dropped down to two top artists: Lil Baby and Future.

“There’s a lot of talent in the city still,” he continued. “I don’t want anybody to screw what I’m saying, but that top tier where you have Ludacris, Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Migos, Future, Lil Baby – I mean, at one point, all of this was Atlanta. This was where all the top-tier rap artists came from.”

However, Dupri clarified his statement, saying that its more about just making records, but that rap artists need to be making number 1 songs and need to be people that define the genre.

“I’m not talking about artists that just make records, but No. 1 songs. Artists that people feel like define the game. Rap to me became a little stale, but I’ve never stopped making rap records. As a producer, people continue to want me to produce R&B records.”

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