| Jermaine Dupri knows about diversity. As a producer and songwriter, the
Atlanta-based music mogul had a hand in overseeing the best-selling albums of
both 2004 and 2005, Usher’s blockbuster Confessions and Mariah Carey’s comeback classic
The Emancipation of Mimi, respectively. Confessions sold more than 9 million
copies and earned the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B album. The Emancipation of Mimi has sold more than 5 million copies on the
strength of songs Dupri produced and co-penned, We Belong Together, Don’t
Forget About Us and Shake It Off.
Dupri and Carey were also nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best R&B Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards
this year. Dupri walked away with
Best R&B Song and won his the first Grammy of his professional
career.
In fact, Dupri became one of only
a few producers in music history to garner four positions in the Top 10
on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart at one time (a feat accomplished by only two other
producers) and the top three spots on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts with We Belong
Together and Shake It Off by Carey and Like You (Bow Wow & Ciara) and
Let Me Hold You (Bow Wow featuring Omarion), songs he produced and
co-penned. With We Belong
Together and Shake It Off, he and Carey became the first artists since The
Beatles to hold the top two spots at the same time, while We Belong Together
gave Dupri his 19th No. 1 R&B hit.
As CEO of So So Def Recordings, Dupri has helmed the release
of dozens of platinum and gold albums.
He’s also crafted platinum albums for himself.
In 1992, when he was just 19, an age when most people are
trying to figure out what to do with their lives, Dupri founded So So Def. He struck multi-platinum with Kriss
Kross and soon established himself as a premier R&B, rap and pop
hitmaker. Artists and labels alike
knew they could call on him when they needed a hit record or album and Dupri set
his sights on establishing So So Def as a universally recognized brand. Since then, he has launched the careers
of Da Brat, Bow Wow, Jagged Edge, Anthony Hamilton, J-Kwon and many more through
the label and his direction.
This tremendous track record set the stage for Dupri’s most
substantial business accomplishment.
On April 1, 2005, Dupri assumed the position of President of Black Music
at Virgin Records. He hopes to make
Virgin a major player in the urban music world.
Ever the visionary, Dupri already has several artists
recording music for their forthcoming albums. Many of Dupri’s new artists got their
first national exposure on Young, Fly and Flashy Vol. 1, a 2005
compilation that spawned a No. 1 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles &
Tracks entry with Dem Franchize Boyz’s I Think They Like Me, which also
featured Da Brat, Bow Wow and Dupri.
The compilation was the first project Dupri released as Virgin’s
President of Black Music and showed that his impact at Virgin was instant.
With his astonishing track record, it is no wonder that other
entities want to be in business with Jermaine Dupri. In May 2005, Dupri opened
his first restaurant, Café Dupri.
The Atlanta eatery features a lively atmosphere and a menu that caters to
diners hoping to enjoy a quality meal that is also healthy. Even with his position at Virgin
and the arrival of Café Dupri, Jermaine is not slowing down as a producer. Dupri is also working on new material
with Jagged Edge and Monica, and serves as executive producer of the forthcoming
album, 20 Years Old, from international entertainment icon Janet Jackson.
Now with tens of millions of albums sold to his credit,
scores of awards and a list of music industry accomplishments that are as
distinguished as they are remarkable, Dupri is anxious to continue making
history. Dupri’s body of work
represents a multi-layered approach that illustrates his visionary business
acumen. With 13 extraordinary years
in business experience to his credit, Dupri is solidifying his legacy as his
hitmaking streak continues. |
Big Jon Platt
