Jermaine Dupri is perhaps best known for his high profile collaborations (a list overflowing with stars such as TLC, Janet Jackson, Nas, and Bow Wow); however, his solo career has earned him equal respect. Included among many of his occupations are producer, label owner, song-writer and artist manger.
Born in Asheville, North Carolina, US on 23 September 1972 Dupri entered the music industry at the ripe age of 12, acting as a back up dancer for the hip-hop group Whodini and breaking into the public’s eye with his appearance in their video “Freaks Come Out at Night”.
Dupri later came into his own as a producer and by 1990 worked on his first production project with the all female hip-hop trio Silk Tymes Leather. A year later he oversaw the teen rap duo Kris Cross, which featured Chris Kelly and Chris Smith. The group hit it big with the single “Jump”, which topped the Billboard 200 for eight straight weeks and went 2X platinum.
At this point Dupri was able to establish and sustain his own record label known as “So So Def Recordings”. The label was formed in 1993 and is based out of Atlanta. One of the label’s first occupants was the female R&B group Xscape, an act also based out of Atlanta. This group (like the past acts Dupri worked with) was immensely successful and earned platinum status with their debut album “Hummin‘ Comin’ at ‘Cha”.
This trend persisted when Dupri signed Chicago hip-hop artist Da Brat. Her 1994 debut “Funkdafied” achieved platinum status and also acted as a lead to So So Def Recordings distribution partnership with Columbia Records.
After Dupri contributed to Lil‘ Kim’s top 3 R&B charting debut “Hard Core”, he lent his efforts to Destiny’s Child’s 1998 self-titled release, an album which stayed on the US Billboard 200 for 26 weeks.
This year also saw the release of Dupri’s own studio debut album “Life in 1472”. This album was a monumental commercial success, hitting the No.1 spot on the Top R&B Albums and peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. To add to the excitement of that year Dupri met Lil Bow Wow and eventually signed him to his label, though the artist would eventually leave.
In 2002 Dupri’s contract with Columbia expired and he went on to join forces with Arista Records. During his time with Arista he collaborated with artists ranging from Mariah Carey to Weezer, the former who he managed until August 2014. Dupri also gained recognition abroad with his work with Usher, contributing to the singers most well known albums “My Way”, “8701”, and “Confessions”.
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