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Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage/Getty Images | Design: F Inomata

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Jermaine Dupri on Turning Kris Kross Into Stars jermaine-dupri-real-story-behind-turning-kris-kross-stars

Jermaine Dupri On The Real Story Behind Turning Kris Kross Into Stars

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In an exclusive conversation at the GRAMMY Museum, the So So Def founder shares the two-year journey from meeting the teens "with swag" at the mall to developing them into breakout rap stars
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 26, 2018 - 5:27 pm

Jermaine Dupri, along with a stellar crew of friends and label-mates, visited the GRAMMY Museum on Sept. 20 for an exclusive conversation looking back on and celebrating the impact of 25 years of his record label, So So Def Recordings. We learned a lot about how Dupri's vision and focus allowed him to turn so many different artists into stars over the years, and in the case of Kris Kross, how he saw the rap stars in them before they ever did.

Jermaine Dupri on Turning Kris Kross Into Stars

Dupri clearly has an eye for talent and how to best showcase it. While most people have likely heard some version of the story that he discovered young teens Kris Kross at the mall and turned them into rap stars with their hit debut single "Jump," the details of how all of it happened and what it took to get there are often left out.

In conversation with the museum's Artistic Director Scott Goldman, Dupri shares how much more in-depth the story really is, and that the young boys weren't trying to be rappers when they first met, so he really had to get to know them to shape them into the stars he knew they were. This personalized process became  how he worked with all future So So Def artists, and  played a huge part in the label's – and each artist's – success. Kris Kross was So So Def's first artist and first success story, and they paved the way for Dupri's continued excellence.

"You gotta understand people out there, Kris Kross weren't rappers. They weren't kids walking around with demos. They weren't trying to be rappers. They weren't trying to be singers. When I met them I said, 'What do y'all do?'" Dupri explains. "'We just cool.' I was like, 'Damn. Get these guys a record fast.'"

The conversation with Jermaine Dupri and Friends kicked off of the opening of the GRAMMY Museum's newest exhibit, Jermaine Dupri & So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture, which will be on view until Jan. 2019.

Jermaine Dupri On The Most Game-Changing Song He's Worked On & More

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Jermaine Dupri

Photo: Design: F Inomata

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Jermaine Dupri On His Game-Changing Song & More jermaine-dupri-most-game-changing-song-hes-worked-more

Jermaine Dupri On The Most Game-Changing Song He's Worked On & More

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We chatted with the legendary So So Def founder and asked him some bonus round questions during the special event at the GRAMMY Museum celebrating 25 years of his label
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 24, 2018 - 5:35 pm

Jermaine Dupri stopped by the GRAMMY Museum on Sept. 20 to kick off of its newest exhibit, Jermaine Dupri & So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture. The evening included a chance to view the exhibit, a conversation with Dupri and several So So Def artists, and a lively after-party on the roof. We caught up with Dupri during the event to for a bonus round of questions to get to know a little more about the man behind so many hits.

Jermaine Dupri On His Game-Changing Song & More

Dupri, who wore a three piece plaid suit and tinted aviator shades to the event, has major swag, or as he put it, is pretty "fresh." We chatted with him to learn more about the first album he ever bought (it was a 12-inch, not a CD), his favorite part of the new exhibit, the most game-changing song he's worked on, and more.

Atlanta's Finest: How Jermaine Dupri And So So Def Amplified The ATL Sound

Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage/Getty Images

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How Jermaine Dupri And So So Def Amplified Atlanta atlantas-finest-how-jermaine-dupri-and-so-so-def-amplified-atl-sound

Atlanta's Finest: How Jermaine Dupri And So So Def Amplified The ATL Sound

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In a conversation at the GRAMMY Museum to launch the new exhibit celebrating 25 years of So So Def and Dupri, Dem Franchize Boyz share "He took our career to a whole 'nother level"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 21, 2018 - 4:37 pm

GRAMMY-winning writer/producer/rapper/label-owner Jermaine Dupri visited the GRAMMY Museum on Sept. 20 to celebrate the launch of its newest exhibit, Jermaine Dupri & So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture.

As part of the kick-off for what is the first R&B label exhibit at the museum, Dupri sat down with the museum's Artistic Director Scott Goldman to get into the nitty-gritty of his prolific career in music and the impact of So So Def Recordings on hip-hop and R&B in Atlanta and beyond, bringing several special guests on stage to share their personal stories of the influence Dupri had on them.

https://twitter.com/GRAMMYMuseum/status/1042985261292875776

A special message from @jermainedupri on the opening night of his exhibit 'Jermaine Dupri & @SoSoDef.’ pic.twitter.com/ogAi6wWXMm

— GRAMMY Museum (@GRAMMYMuseum) September 21, 2018

Dupri has clearly been hard at work the last 25-plus years, given that he has been a part of 33 No. 1 hits and 56 top 10 hits – and he's not slowing down. To celebrate 25 influential years of his So So Def label, which he founded in 1993, he released a new compilation album this summer featuring three songs previously unavailable digitally, helped bring the details together for the new GRAMMY Museum exhibit, and planned a label tour to kick off next month.

"It's pretty amazing…I know for me I didn't even remember half of this stuff I'm looking at. It's just like damn, we did this?" -Jermaine Dupri

For a man that moves so fast and is influencing so many others at any given time, it can be difficult to find the time to stop and relish in past accomplishments. Last night he was finally able to reflect on and celebrate his and his label's achievements over the years, along with several of the artists that were a part of it. Dupri clearly uses his gifts and his vision to shine a light on those around him, as he has done with so many artists that he helped develop, write and produce songs for or advance their careers. The common thread along all of what he does is that he genuinely honors the artist within for everyone he works with in whatever stage they are at, and he takes the time to truly understand who they are and who they can become, often seeing what other people miss.

While most people who know even a little bit about the story of Dupri and So So Def know his discovery of young teens Kris Kross put him on the map, the details of how he developed them into No. 1 artists are often overlooked. Dupri went in-depth on the two years it took from initially meeting the then-12 year olds, Chris Kelly and Chris Smith, at the local mall in Atlanta, to grooming them into one of the biggest hip-hop duos of the day, when they released their debut No. 1 single, "Jump."

Dupri explained how he saw them walking around the mall with plenty of swag, they weren't actually rapping or passing out CDs – in fact, at that time, they had no idea that they would become Kris Kross. He shared that when he noticed them and asked him what they did, one responded "We just cool." While he was only 19 himself at the time, he knew that he saw something in them and gave their mom his number, eventually spending time with the boys hanging out and bringing them songs he had written for them. He went through many songs before putting it all together on "Little Boys In The Hood." In that moment, the boys' vision of who they could be began to align with the one Dupri had been developing over the past year or so, and the rest is history.

As all in the audience were witness to last night at the GRAMMY Museum, that is where Dupri's magic lies – it goes deeper that just having a vision, but involves really getting to know each person he works with until he discovers exactly how to help them shine as brightly as possible.

GRAMMYs

When Goldman asked why it was – and has remained – so important to him to stay in Atlanta, Dupri explained that the city has always been musically and culturally vibrant.

"I always felt what Atlanta is today, I felt that energy in the '90s," Dupri shared. "One of the most interesting things about Kris Kross that I hate that people don't really pay attention to a lot, is that Kris Kross is from Atlanta."

Yet the multi-talented icon doesn't just discover and shape new talent into future stars, as we heard from So So Def artists themselves, when Parlae and Pimpin' from Dem Franchize Boyz, Kyle Norman, Richard Wingo and brothers Brandon and Brian Casey of Jagged Edge, Da Brat and Anthony Hamilton joined the stage (along with music mogul Jon Platt). Both Jagged Edge and Da Brat said they sought out Dupri as the person they wanted to work with to make it big, and while it may have taken a bit of effort to get his attention, it would forever change their lives.

No matter who he is working with, Dupri honors the artist true self, allowing him to see what other people miss. We heard this first hand from talented artists who had been underappreciated by everyone else in the record business, including R&B singer Anthony Hamilton and Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boyz. Both shared how working with Dupri was different; he honored their talents and their unique sounds and didn't try to make them into something they weren't.

"He saw the raw talent and he heard it – he got it, he understood it, when most labels weren't listening," Hamilton said. "We worked on a few songs and he got it, we put it out – [my] first platinum album."

As Pimpin' of Dem Franchize Boyz said "He took our career to a whole 'nother level." Before they worked with Dupri, they were already huge in the Atlanta scene with their single "White Tee," which Dupri remixed. Luckily for all of them, Universal dropped the Boyz because they felt their next single "Oh I Think They Like Me" was too similar to "White Tee." Dupri signed them and released a remix for the second single, bringing fellow So So Def artists Bow Wow and Da Brat on the track, which proceeded to go double platinum. Dupri knew they represented an important part of the musical quilt of Atlanta, and he was certainly right.

Jermaine Dupri

The exhibit will be on view until Jan. 2019. Tickets and more details can be found here.

You can also catch Dupri, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Anthony Hamilton, Dem Franchize Boyz and friends on the Global Curren$y Tour starting in Oct.

Looking Back On Classic Songs Blessed By Jermaine Dupri

GRAMMYs

Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri

Photo: Scott Gries/NBA/Getty Images

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Remembering Classic Songs From Jermaine Dupri looking-back-classic-songs-blessed-jermaine-dupri

Looking Back On Classic Songs Blessed By Jermaine Dupri

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As the GRAMMY Museum celebrates 25 Years of Jermaine Dupri & So So Def, we take a look back on the classics he penned
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 19, 2018 - 3:44 pm

The multi-talented, GRAMMY-winning music mogul Jermaine Dupri has been making waves in the music world from a young age, beginning with launching Kris Kross into fame when he was just 19 years old. Dupri wrote and produced their debut hit single, "Jump," and has contributed in some capacity to way too many hits to count since his early days.

He is also only the second hip-hop artist (Jay-Z was the first in 2017) inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On the eve of the opening of the GRAMMY Museum's new exhibit showcasing his contributions to music, we take a trip down memory lane, looking at our favorite songs that Dupri either wrote or co-wrote.

"Jump" – Kris Kross (1992)

You can't talk about Dupri's beginnings as a writer/producer without mentioning Kris Kross, the duo of 12 year olds he discovered at the mall and signed to his new label. The first song that he wrote and produced for them, "Jump," gave them almost instant fame as it shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance By a Duo Or Group at the 35th GRAMMY Awards.

"Always Be My Baby" – Mariah Carey (1995)

A young Mariah Carey collaborated with Dupri for the first time on her widely successful fifth studio album, Daydream, which he helped produce with legendary R&B artist/producer Babyface. Dupri and Carey co-wrote her now-classic single together, "Always Be My Baby," along with regular Dupri collaborator Manuel Seal, Jr. The single was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 38th GRAMMY Awards, where she received six nominations in all for the album and its singles.

"You Make Me Wanna" – Usher (1997)

An up-and-coming Usher worked with Dupri for the first time on his hit sophomore album, My Way. The two co-wrote the classic "You Make Me Wanna" together, along with Seal, Jr. Dupri and Babyface teamed up again, co-producing the track, along with other tracks on the album. Usher received his first GRAMMY nod for the single, which was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 40th GRAMMY Awards.

"Welcome to Atlanta" – Jermaine Dupri ft. Ludacris (2001)

Dupri has also released his own music as a rapper, including the early-2000s classic "Welcome to Atlanta" with Ludacris. The song was featured on both artists' sophomore albums, on Dupri's Instructions and on Ludacris' Word of Mouf as a hidden track. Dupri also released a "Coast 2 Coast Remix" version of the song, which brought on P. Diddy, Snoop Dogg and Murphy Lee to spread the love past Luda and Dupri's hometown of Atlanta.

"Burn" – Usher (2004)

In 2004 Usher and Dupri joined forces again, this time on his hugely popular fourth album, Confessions, which won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 47th GRAMMY Awards and was also nominated for Album of the Year. That year Usher took home three wins for the album and its singles, as well as wins eight nominations total, including for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "Burn." We all felt the heat from Usher and Dupri on this winning collaboration.

"We Belong Together" – Mariah Carey (2005)

Dupri teamed up with Carey for her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi. He again helped produce and write several songs for the album, including one of her other mega-classics "We Belong Together," which they co-wrote along with several others writers. The 48th GRAMMY Awards in 2005 was a huge year for Carey, as she received a total of eight nominations and would take three wins including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "We Belong Together" and Best Contemporary R&B Album for The Emancipation of Mimi.

To learn more about all of the musical magic Dupri has worked over the years, check out the GRAMMY Museum's new exhibit, Jermaine Dupri & So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture. The celebration kicks off on Sept. 20 with a launch party and conversation with Dupri and friends.

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa

Photo: Luc Coiffait | Design: F Inomata

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Dua Lipa On Calvin Harris, "New Rules," & More dua-lipa-calvin-harris-other-dream-collabs-new-rules-more

Dua Lipa On Calvin Harris, Other Dream Collabs, "New Rules," & More

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We go behind-the-scenes to hear what it was like for the pop star to work with Harris on his throwback-inspired "One Kiss," her gratitude for "New Rules" giving her "so many opportunities," and more
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 5, 2018 - 6:15 pm

Dua Lipa has been on fire lately and she's ready for more. Following the viral success of her catchy girl-power anthem "New Rules," released last summer from her debut self-titled album, she's brought more hits in the form of big-time collabs. In April, dance music powerhouse Calvin Harris dropped the summer-ready jam "One Kiss" featuring Lipa, and in September Silk City, the new Diplo and Mark Ronson production duo, gave us another dance-floor gem from the pop star with "Electricity."

Dua Lipa Talks Calvin Harris, "New Rules," & More

She visited the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles on Sept. 28 to give fans an intimate conversation and performance, and we caught up with her beforehand to learn more about what it was like working with Harris, who else she would love to collab with (Frank Ocean is on her list), what song she currently has on repeat, the success of "New Rules," and more.

The star is humble about her success and grateful for the positive reception she has gotten so far. She reflects on her breakout hit single "New Rules" with gratitude for what it's allowed her to do since then.

"It was something that I wanted, but never something that I expected. It really took me by surprise," Lipa shares. "I feel like it definitely took ten steps bigger and it just gave me so many opportunities."

Shawn Mendes On Being Authentic And Connecting With Fans

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.