Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri Explains Why Hip Hop Needs Help

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Few people have a Hip Hop history like that of Jermaine Dupri. The So So Def icon helped catapult careers into superstardom, and the megaproducer remains one of the most acclaimed hitmakers in the genre. Dozens of Dupri classics are staples on playlists regardless of how long ago the songs were released, so when he gives a hot take about Hip Hop, people pay attention.

Dupri was the most recent guest on the I Am Athlete podcast, and during the chat, he explained why he believes Hip Hop needs help. He recognized that Hip Hop is the NO. 1 genre but said, “We still in trouble because the Hip Hop that’s at the top is very, very limited.” He added, “The subject matter ain’t wide. It’s very, very narrow-minded.”

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 14: Jermaine Dupri performs at halftime during the Milwaukee Bucks v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 14, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Read More: Jermaine Dupri Answers Critics Who Say He’s Not Relevant

Dupri added, “If it’s gonna be across the board, it’s gotta open us up.” The producer was asked how can this be fixed. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a solution for what he believes ails Rap music. It isn’t a sentiment that is far-fetched; often, “old heads” are criticized for sharing similar opinions about the current state of the genre. The newer artists seemingly clap back, expressing that all eras of Hip Hop face pushback from previous generations.

Responses to Dupri’s comments have been a mixed bag. Some agreed and complained about the lack of lyricists in this current generation. Others thought Dupri was being too harsh on new artists. Elsewhere during the conversation, he answered critics who accused him of no longer being relevant in today’s music landscape.

Read More: Jermaine Dupri Claims Credit For NYC Radio Playing Southern Hip-Hop

Within the last few years alone, Dupri has earned himself several accolades. He was instrumental in developing Ari Lennox’s “Pressure” hit, and he worked alongside dvsn, as well. Now, fans are waiting for him to face off against a worthy opponent on Verzuz. If you ask Dupri, his choice is Diddy as Bad Boy could potentially meet So So Def in an epic match-up. Do you agree with Dupri’s take about Hip Hop being in trouble?

Jermaine Dupri Answers Critics Who Say He’s Not Relevant

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Jermaine Dupri is a man of many hats: he’s a grammy award-winning producer, an acclaimed record executive, and a pioneer of modern R&B amongst other recognitions. The 50-year-old recently sat down with I Am Athlete to discuss his accomplishments over his 39-year music career. Specifically, he had a few words to say regarding critics claiming that Dupri is irrelevant. Dupri strongly asserts that even recently, he’s had a hit record every year. Ari Lennox’s “Pressure” and DVSN‘s “If I Get Caught Cheating (That Don’t Mean I Don’t Love You)” are amongst his newest produced hits, proving that Dupri still has R&B under lock.

One of his most anticipated upcoming projects is another collaboration with Usher, according to Variety. The duo first marked their iconic partnership in the album 1997 My Way, featuring hits like “You Make Me Wanna” and “Nice and Slow.” Afterward were contributions to songs in 8701 in 2001, Here I Stand in 2008, and other singles over the years. Dupri has also maintained relationships with other significant R&B artists including Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.

Dupri Hasn’t Gone Anywhere

The power of Dupri has most recently shown in DVSN’s 2022 release of “If I Get Caught.” The Canadian R&B grew their following tenfold when the song was released, as reported by Variety, partially due to the controversial lyrics describing a toxic relationship. Ari Lennox’s “Pressure” also earned itself rightful attention for its upbeat track and kinky lyrics. He also was the producer for Usher’s 2020 release “Don’t Waste My Time” featuring Ella Mai. The track reached number one on Billboard’s US Adult R&B Songs list.

The So So Def Recordings executive has a message for anyone who questions his relevancy. He told the Hip Hop Wolf, “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,’ cuz you ain’t listen to R&B. Cuz you don’t know.” Needless to say, Dupri is well aware of his accomplishments over the year. “I’ve had a hit record every real,” he said, “you just don’t really realize.” Stay tuned to HNHH for more news from the hip-hop world.

[Via]

Jermaine Dupri Responds To Getting Called “Irrelevant” + 4 Recent Songs He Produced

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Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri was interviewed on the I AM ATHLETE podcast and responded to getting called irrelevant in today’s music. SOHH also highlighted recent hit songs JD has recently produced. Star producer and music executive Jermaine Dupri was interviewed on the I AM ATHLETE podcast and responded to being called “irrelevant” in today’s music by fans. […]

The post Jermaine Dupri Responds To Getting Called “Irrelevant” + 4 Recent Songs He Produced appeared first on SOHH.com.

Jermaine Dupri Recalls Introducing Jay-Z To No I.D.

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There are a lot of things that wouldn’t have existed without Jermaine Dupri putting the play together. Apparently, 4:44 is one of those things. During a recent appearance on Rap Radar, the So So Def honcho recalled working alongside Hov around the time of American Gangster, which created the foundation for Jay-Z and No I.D.’s working relationship.

“I actually introduced No I.D. to JAY-Z,” Dupri said. “I took him with me to that session. When I was doing ‘Fallin’,’ I took No I.D. with me. They didn’t even know each other. While I was making that beat, he was in the corner with his headphones on making another beat.”

As he was cooking up, there were several other producers in the room. Jay tried to see what everyone was working on at the time. However, Jermaine Dupri said he directed Jay to No I.D., who he believed would have solid production on deck.

ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 23: Jermain Dupri and Jay-Z attend the So So Def anniversary party hosted by Jay Z at Compound on February 23, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Getty Images)

“Hov was like, ‘What you got?’ He was asking everybody around — there was a bunch of producers in the studio. And I was like, ‘He got some shit. I’m telling you, watch.’ He plugged that shit up, and next thing you know they done made a whole album together!”

It wasn’t the first time Jay-Z and No I.D. worked with each other, though, which JD acknowledged. No I.D. mentored Kanye and later had credits on The Blueprint 2. Still, Jermaine Dupri allowed the two artists to actually get to know each other and work closely together. Jermaine said it was the “first time that they actually got a chance to really connect like that.”

No I.D. had a few placements on American Gangster beyond producing “Fallin’” with JD. He also landed a placement on “Success” alongside Nas. From there, he became a pivotal force in Jay’s career throughout the mid-aughts and the 2010s, eventually leading to the release of 4:44. 

Check the clip out below.

Jermaine Dupri Say’s He’s Not Impressed About The State Of Hip-Hop: “[It’s] Definitely Hurting And Needs Reviving”

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

Jermaine Dupri recently shared his thoughts on the state of hip-hop in an interview with VIBE magazine. The legendary producer was asked why he’s been focusing more on producing R&B songs instead of rap songs in recent years.

“I feel like Hip-Hop is definitely hurting and needs reviving,” Dupri 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.”

However, despite his criticism, he said that there is still a lot of talent in Atlanta. “There’s a lot of talent in the city still. 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.”

He added: “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.”

Dupri did say however that he does have a rap project with Curren$y slated to drop soon. “I do want to say this: I’m dropping a rap project with Curren$y. So you got it here first.”

The post Jermaine Dupri Say’s He’s Not Impressed About The State Of Hip-Hop: “[It’s] Definitely Hurting And Needs Reviving” appeared first on The Source.

Jermaine Dupri Thinks “Hip Hop Is Hurting & Needs Reviving”

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He’s one of the most celebrated artist-producers in Hip Hop, so when Jermaine Dupri speaks on the culture, many stop to listen. The So So Def icon has been in the industry for decades, shaping the careers of legendary hitmakers. His classics remain club favorites, and Dupri’s contributions are unmatched. While he has a deep love for the ebbs and flows of Hip Hop, he also has a few criticisms that he recently shared with Vibe.

During their interview with Dupri, Vibe asked why it seemed as if, in recent years, he’s moved away from Hip Hop to mostly R&B. “I feel like Hip-Hop is definitely hurting and needs reviving,” he 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.”

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 07: Bryan Michael Cox, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Juan Farmer and DJ Ruckus attend Sea Salt Seafood Howell Mill Grand Opening at Sea Salt Seafood Howell Mill on November 7, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Read More: Jermaine Dupri Responds To Claims That He Stole Beats In The 90’s: “Get The F*** Outta Here With That”

Dupri added that he still sees “a lot of talent in the city.” Yet, the days of “top tier” artists are a thing of the past.

“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,” he stated. “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,” Dupri also said. He then shared he plans to release “a rap project with Curren$y.”

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: Bow Wow Explains Jermaine Dupri’s Role In His Career: “This Ain’t The TV Show The Rap Game”

Elsewhere, Dupri also spoke on the impending, rumored Verzuz against Diddy.

“Well, one, Verzuz in itself is an East Coast-driven platform. I feel like, personally, anytime Jermaine Dupri is mentioned in the same space as any producer from New York, people start saying no against me and it’s fair enough, I get it. A lot of records that I made might have been Southern records that people didn’t hear in the city. A lot of times I was in New York, I used to be like, ‘Damn, I got a number one record, but I don’t hear my record on Hot 97 the way it should be.’”

He also claimed that people underestimated his catalog during the “Bow Wow era.”

Do you agree with Jermaine Dupri’s assessment of the current state of Hip Hop?

[via]

Jermaine Dupri Makes Guest Appearance on CBS’ ‘Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All!’

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Grammy Award-winning songwriter, superproducer, visionary, and CEO of So So Def Jermaine Dupri made a guest appearance on CBS’s Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All!, a new two-hour primetime concert special from the Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey. The special aired on Tuesday, Dec. 20 on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount.

Filmed in New York City at The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, the concert special will feature the singer-songwriter performing a repertoire of her festive holiday hits, including the chart-topping massive perennial favorite “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Additional special guest appearances include Drew Barrymore, Billy Porter, Slick Rick, and the Radio City Rockettes.

The post Jermaine Dupri Makes Guest Appearance on CBS’ ‘Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All!’ appeared first on The Source.

Jermaine Dupri Claims Credit For NYC Radio Playing Southern Hip-Hop

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Jermaine Dupri wants credit for Southern rappers prospering on East Coast radio.

During a recent appearance on The Gauds Show, Jermaine Dupri discussed his upcoming Verzuz battle against Diddy, leading to a conversation about New York radio. According to JD, he broke down the doors for Southern acts to get representation on NYC’s radio circuit.

“The reason New York plays down south music on the radio is because of me,” Dupri said. “Bone Crusher and the YoungBloodZ were all over Hot 97 in a way that like nobody could ever imagine. And I hired DJ Envy to work for me.”

JD explained that he set a precedent for Southerners to land on East Coast radio that many have benefited from ever since.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 13: Jermaine Dupri arrives to the 2022 Soul Train Music Awards at the Orleans Arena on November 13, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/FilmMagic,)

“My attack on New York radio and the New York streets from the south is like no other. Nobody, no other company, nothing,” he said. “Not as far as back then, now everybody else moving forward, that door opened cause I was out there beating the streets.”

His latest comments come shortly after he sparked a whole debate online surrounding the inception of 106 & Park. The So So Def executive explained that he created the platform as a means to propel Bow Wow’s career.

“I was watching MTV and MTV had TRL. And they was catering to N’Sync, they was catering to the Backstreet Boys,” he also stated. “Anything white that was coming out that was Pop, they was allowing these kids to scream and holler. I’m like, ‘Yo, we don’t have nothin’ for Black people. Like, where’s the Black kids that love music. Why don’t they have a show like this?’”

He added, “So, I called Stephen Hill and I said, ‘Yo, I got [an] artist, we need to make a show just like TRL. He said, ‘What’s the artist?’ And I said, ‘His name is Bow Wow.’ Of course, he was like, I don’t know. Everybody challenges what I’m saying.”

However, Bow Wow quickly refuted these claims before former BET president Stephen Hill called JD’s claims an “overstep.”

Bow Wow Disses Jermaine Dupri Again + Da Brat Comes Out In Dupri’s Defense

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Bow Wow x Jermaine Dupri

Bow Wow dissed Jermaine Dupri on Twitter by denying his claims of creating BET’s, 106 & Park, once hosted by AJ and Free in the 2000s and later by Bow Wow from 2012 until its cancellation in 2014. Updated by Kendall Parks (12/19/2022 at 6:15 pm) Bow Wow disputed claims made by Jermaine Dupri on […]

The post Bow Wow Disses Jermaine Dupri Again + Da Brat Comes Out In Dupri’s Defense appeared first on SOHH.com.

Da Brat Goes Off On Bow Wow For Countering Jermaine Dupri’s “106 & Park” Claim

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Jermaine Dupri recently lit up Hip Hop with a revelation, but it has caused a firestorm involving Bow Wow and Da Brat. While recently on The Goats And Underdogs podcast, the So So Def icon said that the classic, iconic BET show 106 & Park was created by him for Bow Wow. The rapper thrived under Dupri’s umbrella in his youth, and according to the megaproducer, this was another stepping stone for the star.

“I was watching MTV and MTV had TRL. And they was catering to N’Sync, they was catering to the Backstreet Boys,” he stated. “Anything white that was coming out that was Pop, they was allowing these kids to scream and holler. I’m like, ‘Yo, we don’t have nothin’ for Black people. Like, where’s the Black kids that love music. Why don’t they have a show like this?’”

Read More: Jermaine Dupri Says He Created “106 & Park” For Bow Wow

An interview clip quickly circulated online, and people soon praised Dupri for conceptualizing the series. However, Bow Wow jumped into the conversation to debunk Dupri’s claims.

“JD aint create 106&Park stop the cap,” Bow tweeted. “Stephen hill Rick Ghrimes & all the great people in the BET OFFICE & staff created that show. All I did was capitalize off of what they created and made it mine. I would know… I am Mr 106!”

He added, “I would never take away from someones creativity.”

This was a reaction that Da Brat certainly wasn’t fond of, and she took to the internet to unleash her disappointment in Bow.

Read More: Bow Wow Rejects Revival Of “106 & Park”: “BET Just Don’t Get It”

“Bow what I can’t letchu do is discredit my big brother JD who u called your dad for so many years cuz that is pretty much the roll you gave him,” she wrote. “You are being so rude and disrespectful to the person who believed in you, nurtured you, made you a complete star, wrote all yo hits, accepted the challenge when Snoop brought you to him. He has never done ANYTHING to you but help.”

She wasn’t quite finished. “He isn’t and never would discredit BET execs.” Adding, “He discussed creating 106 b4 it was created so black people could have our own TRL. NO CAP!”

Former BET president Stephen Hill also chimed in on the conversation.

Read More: AJ Calloway Remembers 106 & Park On Its 22nd Anniversary

“Yeahhhhhh our memories on how 106 & Park was created differ GREATLY,” wrote Hill. “Now, NO ONE challenges that Bow Wow helped launch 106 to great heights…. that is for sure true. But ‘CREATED BY ME’ might be a bit of an overstep for ya, my man. Love you ALWAYS!!!”

Bow Wow still tripled down that Dupri wasn’t the catalyst for 106 & Park. Check out more below.