Jermaine Dupri

About

Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American record producer, rapper, songwriter and music executive. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his musical career at the age of 9. He discovered the teen hip-hop duo Kris Kross in 1991; Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single “Jump”, which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings, in a joint venture with Columbia the following year. The label has since signed acts including Xscape, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Dem Franchize Boyz, YoungBloodZ, and Anthony Hamilton, among others.
In his R&B and hip-hop production career, Dupri worked with Mariah Carey, Usher, Monica, and Nelly to produce a total of 11 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. As a solo recording artist, his debut studio album, Life in 1472 (1998), peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the top 40 single “The Party Continues” (featuring Da Brat and Usher) and the Grammy Award-nominated “Money Ain’t a Thang” (featuring Jay-Z). His second album, Instructions…