Dupri, Jermaine 1972- (Jermaine Dupri Mauldin)

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Dupri, Jermaine 1972- (Jermaine Dupri Mauldin)

PERSONAL:

Born September 23, 1972, in Ashville, NC; son of Michael (a record executive) and Tina Mauldin; children: Shaniah Cymone.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Fayetteville, GA.

CAREER:

Music producer, music artist, writer. Worked as a dancer with rap groups, c. 1984; Columbia Records, So So Def record label, Atlanta, GA, creator, 1985-2005, president and chief executive officer, 1993-2003; Arista Records, 2003-05; produced demo for the female rap group Silk Tymes Leather, 1987; Geffen Records, music producer, 1987-93; produced various artists R & B, hip-hop, and rap artists, including Toni Braxton, Bobby Brown, Mariah Carey, Da Brat, Gerald Levert, MC Lyte, and Notorious B.I.G.; Virgin Music Group, president of Virgin Urban Music, 2005-06; Island Records, urban music president, 2007—. Runs his own music publishing company, Shaniah Cymone, named for his daughter.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Rhythm and Soul Music Songwriter of the Year, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, 1997, 2005; Georgia Music Hall of Fame, 2006.

WRITINGS:

(With Samantha Marshall) Young, Rich, and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul (memoir), Atria Books (New York, NY), 2007.

AUTHOR OF LYRICS AND MUSIC

(With Manuel Seal and Usher Raymond) You Make Me Wanna—: Piano, Vocal, Guitar, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 1997.

(With Manuel Seal and Usher Raymond) My Way, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 1997.

(With others) Promise, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 2000.

(With others) Goodbye, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 2001.

(With Harold Lilly, Jr., and Bryan Michael Cox) U Should've Known Better, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 2003.

(With Usher Raymond and Bryan Michael Cox) Burn, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 2004.

(With Usher Raymond and Bryan Michael Cox) Confessions Part II, EMI Music Publishing (Milwaukee, WI), 2004.

SOUND RECORDINGS

Jermaine Dupri Presents Life in 1472, So So Def (New York, NY), 1998.

Instructions, So So Def (New York, NY), 2001.

(With Jagged Edge) So So Def Presents, Definition of a Remix, So So Def Recordings (New York, NY), 2002.

Like Mike: Music from the Motion Picture, So So Def Recordings/Sony Music Soundtrax (New York, NY), 2002.

Now That's What I Call Music! 14, Sony Music Entertainment (New York, NY), 2003.

MUSIC PRODUCER; SOUND RECORDINGS

(And writer and arranger) Totally Krossed Out, RuffHouse Records/Columbia (New York, NY), 1992.

Da Bomb, RuffHouse Records/Columbia (New York, NY), 1993.

Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, So So Def (New York, NY), 1993.

12 Soulful Nights of Christmas, So So Def (New York, NY), 1996.

Big Momma's House: Music from the Motion Picture, Sony (New York, NY), 2000.

Nate Dogg, Music & Me, Elektra (New York, NY), 2001.

Da Brat, Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz, Arista (New York, NY), 2003.

Marques Houston, MH, The Ultimate Group (TUG) Entertainment (West Hollywood, CA), 2003.

Mariah Carey, The Emancipation of Mimi, Island Records (New York, NY), 2005.

Young, Fly & Flashy, Volume 1, So So Def (New York, NY), 2005.

One Twelve, Pleasure & Pain, Def Soul (New York, NY), 2005.

N2U, Issues, Virgin Records (New York, NY), 2005.

Bow Wow, Wanted, Sony Urban Music/Columbia (New York, NY), 2005.

Daz Dillinger, So So Gangsta, Virgin Records (New York, NY), 2006.

(With others) Monica, The Makings of Me, J Records (New York, NY), 2006.

Also contributor to Music from the Motion Picture Hardball (sound recording), Sony Music Soundtrax, 2001.

SIDELIGHTS:

Music producer, music artist, and writer Jermaine Dupri was born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin, September 23, 1972, in Ashville, North Carolina. Dupri became involved in music at an early age. His father, Michael Mauldin, was a record executive who managed various musical groups on tour, including Brick, the S.O.S. band, and Cameo. When Dupri was three years old, his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Michael would have better job opportunities, and in that same year, Dupri was given a drum kit. When Dupri was ten years old, his parents separated, but though Dupri continued to live with his mother, his father remained a major figure in his life and continued influencing him, both personally and in his career. Dupri dropped his father's last name as a business decision, as a way to differentiate between the two given that they ultimately ended up working in the same industry.

Although Dupri claims to have been inspired by his father's career, it is obvious that his own personality was a major factor in both his choice of profession and in his success. He practiced on his drums religiously as a child, also learning to play keyboard, and by the time he was ten years old, he was accomplished on both instruments. He also enjoyed dancing, and while attending a Diana Ross concert with his mother one day, was one of the children Diana invited to dance on stage. However, unlike the majority of those children, Dupri put on such an impressive performance that the newspapers covered his appearance in the next morning's editions. When he was twelve years old, Dupri had the opportunity to make use of his father's business connections, earning him the chance to dance as part of a national rap and dance tour with the rap artists Whodini and Run-D.M.C. Although his father's name secured Dupri's audition, it was Dupri who landed the job and made the most of his time on tour, getting to know everyone he could and making connections that would serve him well later in his career. He used his free time to make his own tapes, selling his products under the fledgling home-grown label of "So So Def," which would later be transformed into a professional business, So So Def Recordings.

Choosing to focus on his career, Dupri dropped out of formal schooling in the eleventh grade so he could strive full time in the music business. He did, though, complete his high school degree with the help of a tutor. He spent more time on his music lessons, valuing traditional genres of music as well as rap. He cultivated a particular rap image, as well, wanting to become synonymous with the musical subgenre. At fourteen, he became aware of a girls' rap group, called Silk Tymes Leather. The girls wanted to make a record, and so Dupri decided to help them, ultimately producing the demo that eventually landed them a deal with Geffen Records. With this deal, Dupri linked himself with the label, where he was partnered with new but successful producer Joe Nicolo, who had already produced a few rap songs. However, it was in 1989 that Dupri finally made himself known in the business, boosting his career by several levels. Spotting two eleven-year-old boys at the mall, surrounded by a fan-club worth of swooning girls, he decided to check them out. Chris Smith and Chris Kelly, the boys in question, soon became Kriss Kross, a fast-rising rap group that was Dupri's first contribution to Nicolo's new RuffHouse Records label. The duo's 1992 release, Totally Krossed Out, was Dupri's project, on which he served as writer, arranger, and producer. Both Totally Krossed Out and Kriss Kross's second album produced by Dupri, Da Bomb, went platinum.

Dupri was a major industry force at just nineteen years old, and he was determined to be just as successful in the world of R & B as he had become in the rap world. His next group, Xscape, was a women's R & B group, and signing them proved to be as smart a decision as taking on Kriss Kross. Dupri produced the group's debut album Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, and it promptly went double platinum, earning Dupri not only a lovely salary, but an offer from Columbia Records to head up his own label. He was twenty years old at the time.

Over the years, Dupri continued to find excellent new talent and produce their records, frequently writing songs for them as well as organizing the financial end of the process. He worked with both newcomers and industry fixtures, producing Usher's 1997 album My Way, which became a chart-topper, and working and performing with Mariah Carey on her 1998 song "Sweetheart." Also in 1998, he produced his own debut album, Jermaine Dupri Presents Life in 1472. Both the album as a whole and the single off the album, "Money Ain't a Thang," were nominated for Grammy Awards. "Sweetheart," recorded with Mariah, is also featured on Dupri's debut album. He went on to work on what is considered to be Mariah's comeback album several years later, The Emancipation of Mimi, which she released to great success after a hiatus from the music business. He has also produced work for Janet Jackson, a childhood crush of his whom he finally had the opportunity to get to know, and whom he refers to as his "soul mate."

Dupri is a major force in the black urban music scene, and is responsible for producing many of the most influential artists and albums in rap and R & B. He has served as president of the urban music divisions of several record companies, including Columbia Records, Virgin Records, and Island Records, running his own labels and keeping other labels in business. He has also won a number of awards for his efforts on behalf of rap and R & B music, and his success in bringing much of the music to a more diverse audience, such as being named the Rhythm and Soul Music Songwriter of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005. Also, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2007, he published Young, Rich, and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul, a memoir he wrote with Samantha Marshall. At that time, Dupri was one of three hip-hop producers to run a label for a major studio, and the youngest of the group. In Young, Rich, and Dangerous, he recounts the ups and downs of his highly successful music career, including his major achievements when he was just a teenager, and a truthful account of all the steps along the way that made him a success. A Kirkus Reviews contributor had less than complimentary comments regarding Dupri's biography, remarking of his life and chronicle that "it's an impressive success story but not a particularly compelling read," and ultimately concluded that Dupri's book "reads more like a (very expensive) grocery list than a meaningful account of his life." A reviewer for PR Newswire noted that the book, while telling the story of Dupri's life and career, "also offers a roadmap for thousands who dream of making it big in the boardroom or on the Billboard 100, and reveals the candid truth of what really happens behind the music."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Dupri, Jermaine, and Samantha Marshall, Young, Rich, and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul (memoir), Atria Books (New York, NY), 2007.

PERIODICALS

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 27, 2002, "Music Producer in Atlanta Area Gets Involved with Video Game Soundtrack," author information; January 25, 2005, "Virgin Records Snares Jermaine Dupri," author information.

Billboard, November 13, 2004, Carla Hay, "Triple-Threat Dupri," p. 50; February 5, 2005, Michael Paoletta, review of "Dupri President of Virgin Urban Music," p. 5; April 2, 2005, Melinda Newman, "ASCAP Will Honor Neil Young and Jermaine Dupri," p. 8; June 11, 2005, Gail Mitchell, "Austin Swaps Sides: Hit Songwriter Steps behind the Mic for So So Def Debut," author information, p. 52; November 5, 2005, Ivory M. Jones, "Midas Touch: Superstar Producer Jermaine Dupri Hopes to Turn Virgin Records into an Urban Powerhouse," p. 32.

Billboard Bulletin, February 9, 2004, Mitchell, "Dupri Quits Academy Post," p. 1.

Business Wire, March 24, 2005, "ASCAP to Honor Jermaine Dupri at 22nd Annual Pop Music Awards on May 16th in Los Angeles."

Crain's New York Business, February 21, 2005, "New Executive: Giving Virgin Street Cred; Hip-Hop Artist Looks to Shake Up Label, Wake Up of Urban Sales as Head Music Unit," author information, p. 11; February 26, 2007, "Music Label's New Leaders; Majors Restore Executive Balance by Empowering Hip Hitmakers," author information, p. 1.

Daily Variety, February 8, 2007, Phil Gallo, "Dupri Tapped to Ferry Urban Music to Island," p. 4.

Ebony, December 1, 2005, "5 Questions For: Jermaine Dupri," author interview, p. 26.

Entertainment Weekly, August 13, 1993, James Bernard, "Da Bomb," author information, p. 72; December 3, 1993, Dimitri Ehrlich, "Remixes in the Key of B," author interview, p. 76; July 31, 1998, "The Producer," review of Jermaine Dupri Presents Life in 1472, p. 71; December 4, 1998, Will Hermes, Matt Diehl, and Marc Wiengarten, "Holiday Music," review of 12 Soulful Nights of Christmas, p. 106; November 9, 2001, Alanna Nash, "The Week," review of Instructions, p. 110; July 29, 2005, Margeaux Watson, "Various Artists," review of Young, Fly & Flashy, Volume 1, p. 69.

Hollywood Reporter, January 15, 2003, "Dupri's Imprint Joins Arista Fold," p. 63; March 24, 2005, "Dupri Golden," p. 3; October 26, 2006, Chris Morris, "Dupri Leaving Virgin Urban Gig," p. 4; May 16, 2007, "ASCAP Honors," author information, p. 3.

Internet Wire, July 7, 2005, "Jermaine Dupri Expands His Media Empire with Grand Opening of Cafe Dupri on July 12th in Atlanta."

Interview, March 1, 1999, Ehrlich, "Hip-Hop Flip-Flop," author interview, p. 80.

Jet, May 21, 2001, "Jermaine Dupri: The Man behind Black Music's Biggest Teen Idols," p. 38; March 3, 2003, "Jermaine Dupri Joins Arista Records as Exec and Makes Exclusive Deal with Label," p. 21; November 21, 2005, Margena A. Christian, "The Man: Hip-Hop Music Mogul Jermaine Dupri Makes Hits, Jumpstarts Careers and Has the Girl-Janet!," p. 34; July 17, 2006, "ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards," p. 50; February 26, 2007, "Jermaine Dupri Tapped as Island Records Urban Music President," p. 34; October 22, 2007, Margena A. Christian, "Jermain Dupri Gets Personal," p. 60; April 28, 2008, Margena A. Christian, "Jermaine Dupri to Head Joint Procter & Gamble Co. and Island Def Jam Hip-Hop Label," p. 52.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2007, review of Young, Rich, and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul.

New York Times, March 8, 1998, Kevin Sack, "POP/JAZZ; in the New South, an Heir to Motown."

People, January 15, 1996, Jeremy Helligar, review of Young, Rich, and Dangerous, p. 23.

PR Newswire, August 7, 2006, "Monica, Grammy-Winning Multi-Platinum Artist, Returns to Spotlight with ‘The Makings of Me’ on September 19th"; February 7, 2007, "Jermaine Dupri Named President of Island Records Urban Music"; September 13, 2007, "Jermaine Dupri's Upcoming Book Release; Young, Rich, and Dangerous"; April 10, 2008, "Jermaine Dupri and Island Def Jam Music Group Launch New Hip-Hop Label in Partnership with TAG Body Sprays."

Record, August 10, 2005, Nekesa Mumbi Moody, "Jermaine Dupri's Days of Whine and Roses; Where's the Grammy? Where's the Sneaker Deal?," author information, p. 7.

Tavis Smiley, October 30, 2002, "Interview: Jermaine Dupri Discusses His Career as Rapper, Producer and Songwriter and the Atlanta Music Scene."

Time, July 20, 1998, Christopher John Farley, review of Jermaine Dupri Presents Life in 1472, p. 63.