Jermaine Dupri
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| Jermaine Dupri | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jermaine Dupri Mauldin |
| Also known as | J.D. |
| Born | September 23, 1972 |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Genre(s) | R&B Pop Hip-Hop Pop Rap Dirty South |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, songwriter, rapper |
| Years active | 1991 - present |
| Label(s) | So So Def Recordings, Island Urban Music, TAG Records[1] |
| Associated acts | Janet Jackson, Monica, Mariah Carey, Dem Franchize Boyz, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Daz Dillinger, Kris Kross, Jagged Edge, Justin Timberlake, Usher |
Jermaine Dupri, also known simply as JD, (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1972), is an American record producer and rapper. On September 16, 2006, Dupri became the youngest inductee to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He is known for saying "Y'all know what this is!" in the songs he produces.
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[edit] Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born in Asheville, North Carolina. He grew up in College Park, Georgia. His father is Michael Mauldin, a former president of Columbia Records. Dupri was introduced to the music business at the early age of 6 months by his father, a concert promoter and manager of rap and R&B groups. He dropped his last name as a teenager and started out as a breakdancer for artists such as Diana Ross and Cameo. One of his earlier appearances was breakdancing in Whodini's music video "The Freaks Come Out at Night." At the age of eighteen, Dupri became the youngest charting producer in the history of music,[citation needed] with his first chart selling artists being Kris Kross. When he got more familiar with the business, Jermaine produced hits for platinum artists such as TLC, Monica, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Usher, Chante Moore, Destiny's Child and also helped get Mariah Carey back on top with the top selling album of 2005, The Emancipation of Mimi.
[edit] Music career
Dupri has pursued a recording career of his own resulting in hits such as "Money Ain't a Thang" (1998, with Jay-Z), "Welcome to Atlanta" (2001, with Ludacris), "It's like That" (2005, with Mariah Carey), and "Gotta Getcha" featuring Johnta Austin. He became involved in 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 Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment. In 2003, Dupri was appointed president of Arista Black Music and moved So So Def and its artists there. In 2004, Dupri was appointed 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. He also produced the songs "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 track "Radio" for young R&B singer Jarvis, but didn't release the album because his label was in transition with the distributor. He has also produced singles with J-Kwon ("Tipsy") and Dem Franchize Boyz. In addition he has 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 Dupri. So far, "Gotta Getcha" has peaked at #60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The controversial music video for the song features his girlfriend, singer Janet Jackson, in a x-rated peep show club. On August 9, 2006, Dupri was listed among the top ten richest people in hip hop.[2] He continues to work with artists including Jay-Z ("Money Ain't a Thang"), Ludacris ("Welcome to Atlanta"), and Warren G ("Havin' Thangs"). He has released Daz Dillinger's album, So So Gangsta, in 2006. It includes production by Dupri, Scott Storch, and Daz.
Dupri also worked with Jackson on her album titled 20 Y.O., released September 26, 2006, which was not as successful as much as Jackson's previous albums. The album's commercial underperformance led Dupri, who accused Virgin of improperly handling its urban releases, to leave his position at Virgin Urban Music. He became the head of Island Records' urban division instead; So So Def releases are now issued through Island Urban Music. Janet Jackson followed Dupri from Virgin to Island as well. As of March 2008, his So So Def/Island Urban roster includes himself, Jagged Edge, Johnta Austin, and Rocko.
Singer Monica's album, The Makings of Me, features production from Jermaine Dupri with the lead single "Everytime tha Beat Drop". He has also produced multiple tracks on Jay-Z's concept album American Gangster.
On October 16, 2007, he released his first book, Young, Rich and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul, an autobiography that charts his career as a producer. The book was co-written with Samantha Marshall and released in hardcover by Simon & Schuster's Atria imprint. The New York Post reported on February 28, 2008 that Dupri proposed to Janet Jackson, and that the couple is busy planning their wedding as well as recording a handful of songs for her new album Discipline.
[edit] Discography
- 1996: 12 Soulful Nights of Christmas
- 1998: Life in 1472
- 2001: Instructions
- 2005: Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol. 1
