JERMAINE DUPRI BLASTS DEF JAM, SAYS ‘THERE’S DEFINITELY HARD FEELINGS’
Posted Aug 6th 2009 6:30PM by Latifah Muhammad
Filed under: Hip-Hop, What’s Beef?
Super-producer Jermaine Dupri may have left his post at Island Def Jam over six months ago, but he still has some negative feelings towards the label. According to Dupri, who held a brief post as president of Island Records Urban Music Department, his time at the label hit several creative roadblocks, among them is what he saw as a lack of support behind his new artist, singer Dondria.
The man behind Mariah Carey’s emancipation (not to mention hits for Usher,Bow Wow and Da Brat) chatted with The BoomBox about why he left the label and what his plans are for expanding the So So Def brand.
“My reason f o r leaving Def Jam is because they [weren’t] prepared for a person like myself,” he told The BoomBox. “They [were] basically out for themselves. I never was on a team like that. I was always on a team that was supportive of what I wanted to do and this time it was more like ‘we need you to do this.’ It wasn’t allowing me to set up So So Def the way that the world knows me to set up So So Def.
“People know me to create new artists [and to] continuously come with new people. Once I signed Dondria I noticed that the reaction [in] the building wasn’t like what I thought it was [going to be] over a new artist. I don’t expect you to jump through hoops over my new artist but I expect you to understand how I broke Jagged Edge, understand how I broke everybody else, and to help me to do that. Once I realized I was basically on my own in that building, I said ‘it’s time for me to get out of here.’ I saw the decline of Def Jam and I was just like ‘I don’t want to be apart of a sinking ship.'”
The 36-year-old Grammy winner’s experience at the label not only assisted in his decision to leave his post but tainted his view of the company. “[There’s] definitely hard feelings because I’m not cool with people stunting my growth. I’m a person that keeps growing. Everybody knows the history of Jermaine Dupri. Everybody knows what I’ve done from day one from one group to the next, it was all new artists and you have to continue doing that. If you get in the way of that you stunt that growth. They [have] bigger problems to deal with, I mean I’m not running around like ‘f— Def Jam!’ I’m just saying I would not really deal with them ever again.”
Since cutting ties with the label Dupri has been prepping an independent distribution deal to get back to the essence of where he feels the music industry is headed. “That’s where the public seem to be focused. It feels like it’s a resurgence of independent labels,” he said. “It just feels like the right thing for me especially, because I’ve been a person that directs every button that happens with my artists and it got a little too cloudy with me being apart of a system, their goals are different. They don’t really care about the new artists, they don’t care about establishing artist.”
Dupri is currently working Dondria’s forthcoming debut, which will hit stores next year and his new group, Ocean’s 7. Billed as “the new rat pack” the group is comprised of Dupri, Trey Songz, Nelly, Johnta Austin, Brian Michael Cox, Usher, and Tyrone Davis (JD’s assistant). Fans can download the ‘Ocean’s 7′ mixtape’ for free at www.global14.com.
margo
jermaine i’m glad you are back to the VISION that was in you from the beginning. Man just trust God, and follow HIS guidance for the best place to take your VISION to the next level. I believe in your ability, and So So Def is about to take it’s place again. God Bless Homie.
Oh and I’m “patiently” waiting for Dondria’s album, I want that like yesterday.lol Johnta Album is going to be “crack”, and though she not on your label, I know that new Ms So So Def is going to be BANANAS AS WELL. So let’s go!
SPOCK
Island Def Jam didn’t have anything to do with Bow Wow’s album….Let’s keep it real on here JD…..
Every label can’t be wrong and we know the answer….DROP THAT HIT!!!! When you drop that hit, all them people at them labels are going to shut up!! I think the new beginning is Dondra. I think she has the potential to be the next Whitney but she has to have your full attention… But who am I? Nobody…But being on the outside looking in for so long you see the game in a totally different prospective. People don’t have to like you or even share your vision BUT if what you are doing is making them money, they have to respect you. Sometimes you have to push their hands a little. If you bring in an artist and they don’t see your vision for the artist, blow the artist up yourself, they will jump on the bandwagon, THEN HAVE THEM REIMBURSE YOU LOL… People hate even being around people that don’t agree with them and THAT IS WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK…. How can you grow without hearing other peoples prospectives?
If I posted a song on Global14 and these people on here thought JD produced it watch the comments…. Great song it’s a hit!! If I posted a song on Global14 and I told them I produced it watch the comments… Change the snare, the 808 is weak… LOL Test is out one day..
In closing…..The richest person in society is the one that can most accurately tell the future. Bill Gates is one of the richest people because he saw us using these computers back in the 70’s. Who ever makes that 2011 music is going to take over the whole game. So So Def is going to be better as an independent, cause that is when you have to wear all the hats to get stuff done and when it doesn’t get done right you can correct it and if it doesn’t work no one will be their to blame. Dondra is the future.
Flawless
Hey jermaine u know u r 1 of a kind and no 1 will ever be able to take your place.. So the def jam crew should acknowledge why they u in the 1st place. Flawless
Flawless
Hey jermaine u know u r 1 of a kind and no 1 will ever be able to take your place.. So the def jam crew should acknowledge why they chose u in the 1st place. Flawless
Sarah Mokone
Well, JD you know whats best for u and ur music, JUST KEEP the tracks coming!!!!!!!!!
Double RR
I actually read this article last week and I was wondering when was it going to make its way to Global14. I feel that major labels suffocate new artistry. I am actually glad to see that the independent labels are resurfacing again. As we look back in music history, it was independent labels that set the standard that MAJOR label COPIED. We wouldn’t have had the electric blues without Muddy Waters and Chess Records or we wouldn’t know what soul really meant without STAX Records and their artists like Otis Redding and others. Yes, major labels have that distributing power that you need but in the end….the indie labels have set the standard for creativity in ALL facets of music.
JD I really respect the executive choices that you have made with music thus far. MaJor labels produce the same sound that is hot at that moment which kills an artists or producers creativity because Majors demand reproduction of that product. There is a problem if you have the same sound on album 4 that you had on album 1. True artistry and music is a reflection of ones growth and maturity in ones life so if you aren’t growin then you aren’t living which means you are dead inside. Thats my view.
sham nassim
WE just so glade that ,you give chanes to these up caming artists,to you its not all about the money ,you wann give others achance ,thats why we love you so much because your so real,you say it as it and you don,t make decisions to make pple happy but you make them because you think they right decisions,
Dondria is good,she is really talented but you need to give her more attention, she needs to get more serious ,coz the industry she is getting involved with is not a jock.
i respect the choice you have made and i wish you all the best ,i hope things go your way.
i no your the best
DONDRIA is good i can,t wait 4 her album,she gat a great voice.
we love you so much not coz ur JD but coz you make us reolize a lot of things in our lives
Nakita Benjamin
AMM?? JERMAINE, AINT YOU THE APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF SO SO DEF RECORDS SINCE 92? SO WHY DON’T YOU FIRE ALL OF THEM, AND HIRE NEW PEOPLE TO WORK FOR YOU? I’M STILL LEARNING ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, SO I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT ANYWAYS, YOU HAVE TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF MAN.
I KNOW THIS FOR SHORE THAT THE MAJOR LABELS RIGHT NOW ARE LOSING A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF MUSIC SELLS, SO THEY TRYING TO COME UP WITH THIS STUPIDASS IDEA TO GET ARTIST TO DO MORE FREE STYLE, LESS WRITTING, NEW PRODUCERS, AND NEW A&R’S WHO NEVER CARED FOR MUSIC AS A LITTLE KID. THEY TRYING TO GET SONGS DONE FAST, THEY TRYING TO GET RECORDS OUT FASTER, AND THEY TRYING TO GET MONEY OUT OF IT FASTER. CAUSE IT WASN’T LIKE THAT IN THE 90’S. USUALLY AN ARTIST TAKES 2 YEARS TO MAKE AN ALBUM BEFORE 16 SONGS ARE SELECTED TO BE IN THE ALBUM BEFORE THEY SEND IT OUT. THEM PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN MUSIC INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW DON’T KNOW MUSIC LIKE THE REAL MUSICIAN’S DO. WHY YOU THINK THEY TAKING CONTROL OF SHIT? BECAUSE IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, THEY DON’T CARE FOR THE ARTIST. THEY CARE FOR WHAT THEY CAN GET OUT OF THE ARTIST. IF THEY FEEL LIKE THE ARTIST ISN’T FITTING IN WITH TODAY’S SOUND OR LOOK, THAN THEY GONNA SEE THIS ARTIST AS A FAILURE. THEY WON’T EVEN LET THE ARTIST HAVE CREATIVE CONTROL OF THEIR MUSIC EITHER. THAT’S WHAT YOU GOTTA UNDERTSAND JERMAINE. THESE PEOPLE ARE AFTER MONEY OK. THEY DON’T CARE FOR ANYBODY ELSE BUT THEMSELVES. THAT’S WHY I’M WANTING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT I CAN’T REALLY, CAUSE IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY. LOL!
YOU JERMAINE KNOW THE BUSSINESS VERY WELL, AND I KNOW THAT ONCE YOU START OVER AGAIN, EVERYTHING IS GONNA GET BACK TO HOW IT USE TO BE. I CAN PREDICT THAT YOUR NEW LABEL IS GONNA GO TO THE TOP. 🙂
IF YOU FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE CONTROLING THINGS, AND NOT DOING
Nakita Benjamin
AND NOT DOING THEIR JOB AS YOU WANT THEM TO DO IT, THAN FIRE THEM. LOL
nordia
i agree with jermaine. i’m happy you left they only seem to care about mariah carey. i love mariah but they had janet on that label and she left cause she was been treated the same she got treated like a new artist when she is a very establish artist with great music. i love everything your doing with the ocean 7 i enjoy watching living the life its pretty funny and i love reading you tweets
Moni
Okay, my understanding is that JD was the President of Island Records’ Urban Division. He was not the President of Def Jam so he could not “fire” those employees who did not care to do their job in helping him build a successful division at the company (or a successful company overall) or were not under his direction. So, hopefully, he can regain the control he lost as an executive and put all of his (and his label crew’s) efforts into his new projects — Dondria, Ocean’s, Johnta, Q and whoever and whatever else is in the mix. I don’t like to predict the success of others because you never know what God’s plan is for people or how hard people work to attain their idea of success. I guess you can plan for their success. You have to or you would most likely fail because of the lack of a plan and vision. Even when you plan, you still never know if people will take to your artist, but that is the risk an entrepreneur takes in any business. I like Dondria. I don’t know if she is the next Whitney only because I am not sure she appeals to the masses like Whitney eventually did, but if she becomes a career artists and as she grows older she can definitely attain that status. Dondria can be that soul-pop singer, but I don’t know. I have to hear the CD first. Although, she has a large YT following so that can really help in those initial sales. A lot of people are waiting for her CD to drop. She is skinny, cute, seems grounded, has a very refreshing personality and has a great voice. All of that seems like a great combo for success, but the public is fickle. Hopefully, JD is reading the public right and will have some major success. I hope they all see their dreams come to fruition. Keep grindin’ until it does. I can’t hate you for going for what you want in life. That is what separates the doers from those who don’t. Action!
big chris
Now that you are gone what will groups like Jagged Edge do? I know they left that Columbia situation to go wherever you go (Def Jam). Are they finished in the business?
mimi
I have mixed feelings about this.
Firstly, I hate excuses. But there’s politics to everything. And who are we to really give input being on the outside, right. I just feel like something is missing because every time you speak on this, JD, u take no ownership in anything that you could have done to make this situation go bad as well.
9th Ward… his fucking video looked like a scene from Bout It, Bout It. Did u really think that shit was going to make MTV??? Im sorry yo… He was the State Property to your Rocafella… just stood alone.
Dondria. I still blame the single choice! Lets not act like fans were not baffled when they thought all that time the ballad was dropping and then that Solange-eque shit popped up on iTunes. ANNNNNND theres more to online marketing than YouTubes. Its a Shame because on the low, I was STILL hunting down that damn ballad. Ive never seen a song be kept so sacred in life!!!!! it was nowhere! only pieces from studio rips including convo.
Jagged Edge… idk.. I miss them. theyre what the games missing and thats no bullshitting. You just dont get albums like that anymore!!! AND who dropped the ball on Baby Making Project??? that shit was promoted like a fucking greatest hits album. Thank GOD for WOM… thats when u know u make crack music when the shit pops off of peoples opinion alone.
IDK… IDK.. again this is from the outside. But bottomline is… the shit is over. Def Jam has its few “heavyweights” (that shit doesnt mean as much as it used to circa “Come Home With Me”… and thats about it. Its DEFINITELY a skeleton of its former self. That shit aint been right since Lyor and Kevin Liles left. PERIOD… so yeah they prob did fuck up some things… but damn!!! that shit just HAS you be a 2way street JD because u were supposed to be a BOSS… hell ur one of the 1st people in the game to start using that term BOSS… Bosses dont make excuses… bottomline.. besides being a great producer which u always have been… its time to show and prove as a BOSS. And thats what it really is.
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