Check out our interview with Jermaine Dupri for the launch of The Grammy Museum’s exhibit “So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture”
One mention of the phrase “Welcome to Atlanta” and you inevitably know who we’re talking about. One bar of his hi-hats and you know it’s gotta be Grammy winning and multi-platinum producer, rapper and engineer Jermaine Dupri.
From the Afro logo to the billboards that JD would buy out as you leave the airport, we’ve always known that Mr. Dupri had his fingerprint on the rap scene in Atlanta. Now that’s solidified for all to see with his exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, CA.
Setting the bar for Hip-Hop in Atlanta and setting the wave for generations of artists across the world, JD helped bring along the careers of some of Atlanta’s most influential artists.
Early on he had us wearing our clothes backwards dressing like Kris Kross; then he gave us the first platinum female rapper with Da Brat. He made us slang in our white-tees with Dem Franchize Boyz (shhhhh) and we saw people get married to Jagged Edge. He made the kids all want to ball like Lil Bow Wow before the challenges and he made history with Mariah. There aren’t too many like him.
Now the Grammy Museum has honored the legacy of So So Def, featuring various pieces of memorabilia over the years. Fans can see these time stamped outfits, pics, hand written song lyrics and behind the scenes footage that shed light on this iconic label’s status among the pantheons or rap labels.
Nwaka Onwusa, who has been a curator at the Grammy Museum for 10 years told us all about the project and how it came together via Michael Mauldin (Jermaine’s father and industry executive) a little over three years ago .
“I learned a great deal about So So Def during the process. I found it incredible to learn that Da Brat was the first solo female rapper to ever reach platinum status with the release of her debut record Funkdafied.” Onwusa said. “That accomplishment speaks volumes to her talent as an artist and Jermaine Dupri’s genius in leading So So Def recordings over the past 25 years.”
When asked about the exhibit Jermaine Dupri explained how this accomplishment felt “bigger than winning a Grammy.”
“It’s probably one of the most amazing feelings next to being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Because you know making music; all I ever wanted to do was win a Grammy. You know what I mean? This feels bigger than winning a Grammy and winning a Grammy is pretty hard. It seems pretty hard to do that and looking at it, someone might could say, “Yea I could do that.” But looking at it, I’m like wow. It’s just one of those situations. And just the way they did it, it’s readable and watchable, you learn stuff from looking at it. Its pretty crazy…”
Also highlighting the work of Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox and Johnta Austin as songwriters over the years, you really get a sense of how impactful this label was in both Hip-Hop and R&B over the years.
When asked about his 1998 solo album titled Life in 1472, Dupri recalled the host of features and guest appearances including Jay-Z, DMX, Ma$e, Nas, Lil Kim, Snoop Dogg, Da Brat, Krazie Bone and others.
“It was just having fun. I wish I had social media back in the day because the recording process for that album was crazy. I did a song with DMX, Lil Kim and Ma$e, I was just having a convo with Big John, and I played him the Krazie Bone and Brat song and he was like, ‘thats it,'” Jermaine Dupri told Jake Crates of OnlineCrates.com. ” It had everybody I created a cartoon comic book song which was Snoop Dogg and the whole West Coast crew and I was like living in this world and creating these songs. I’m not a full time rapper, but I rap well enough to do songs with Jay-Z, DMX, Ma$e, Nas – Nas starts my album.”
While there’s so much more we could tell you about the exhibit, it’d be better if you go check it out on your own as the exhibit runs through January 2019.
Check out our interview below as we look deeper into the exhibit, JD’s work with Mariah on “We Belong Together,” Freaknik and more…..
