Author: JD
Paul McCartney’s Ex-Wife Thinks Working With Rihanna And Kanye West Is A Sign Of Desperation
The Paul McCartney revival is well and truly under way thanks to a pair of hit collaborations. After generating plenty of attention as the guest star of Kanye West’s “Only One,” The Beatles frontman joined Yeezy and Rihanna for “FourFiveSeconds” and returned to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 29 years. Not bad for an old-timer? Well, the pop legend’s ex-wife isn’t that impressed. “If I go down the street, all I get is kids coming up to me,” Heather Mills said during an interview on Irish radio. “Half of them don’t even know who he is. That’s why he’s got to do songs with Rihanna and Kanye West, so people remember.” I’m not sure what alternate universe this woman is living in, but she’s displaying a Natalia Kills level of delusion by thinking she’s more famous than Paul McCartney. Heather, who was married to Sir Paul between 2002 and 2008, felt the need to add: “I own the biggest vegan company in the world.” Which obviously explains her massive celebrity among children. This is embarrassing, but not entirely surprising. Madonna is constantly being criticized for working with younger artists. Of course, these inter-generational collabs are bid to stay relevant. I just don’t understand how that’s a bad thing. [via idolator]
Jermaine Dupri Plans Visit to Georgia Tech BY TRICIA WHITLOCK
Business leader, record producer, songwriter and rapper, Jermaine Dupri will soon be visiting Georgia Tech to talk with student entreprenurs. An Atlanta native, Jermaine asked for an opportunity to talk with student entrepreneurs at Georgia Tech & VentureLab is excited to host him at the College of Business. Joining him is Cory Levy, the Co-Founder and COO of ONE — creators of After School and the ONE app. He is also an advisor to about.me and the founder of Internapalooza, the premier one-day event for Silicon Valley Interns. More on VentureLab: “We are passionate about entrepreneurship. We believe in the power of innovation, iteration, and evidence-based entrepreneurship. We value business models, not business plans. We educate, curate, and create, daily. We never take equity or ask for royalties.”
GET TO KNOW: JERMAINE DUPRI
This week we’re getting to know Wynn resident, SO SO Def founder and hip hop and R&B super producer, Jermaine Dupri. Wynn Social had the pleasure of running a few Q’s by the music industry vet, and discovered some interesting tidbits about his personal hobbies, favorite Wynn activities and music projects for the year. Get to know Jermaine below then catch him on the decks right here at Wynn Las Vegas… 1.) EDM is very popular in Pop Culture. Are there any DJ’s that are particularly interesting to you? Why? Interesting to me would be Skrillex, he’s the first DJ I saw stand on top of the DJ booth, cue up a track and hype the crowd up.I would hate to have to go on after him because of the energy of his sets. 2.) Global 14 is a major social commentary outlet for you. How do you see it impacting Hip Hop and how it’s talked about /viewed? Global 14 will become the biggest Hip-hop Social Network. To me it’s already that, but the ideasI have to incorporate the off line with online, takes the Global 14 experience to all new heights. Hip-hop fans spend more money than any fan andI plan on capitalizing on that. 3.) We noticed that you worked with legendary R&B group Jagged Edge. Is there anyone else we can anticipate you working with? Yes!I’ve been in the studio with Usher. Really excited about the new Bow Wow record, new Jermaine Dupri records and, of course, Mariah. 4 .) As a Wynn resident DJ, fans are accustomed to seeing your sets at Tryst. How do you differentiate your sets at XS? Seeing that it has a heavier EDM audience. When I DJ at XS I add more trap to my set than usual. Just as I was saying about Skrillex and the energy, XS crowd is more accustomed to that, all though Hip-hop is back in Vegas in a major way so the crowd will really determine my moves. 5.) What can we can expect to see/hear from you this year? music, movies, philanthropy, etc You can expect the ‘The Underdog” (The story of SO SO DEF) Documentary, a s**t load of new music and the rise of Global14. **What are the top 5 songs on your personal music playlist right now? 10 Bands by Drake Energy by Drake Can’t Wait by Bow Wow feat Snoop Im On You by Usher Truffle Butter by Nicki Minaj **What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time? Video games, preferably NBA2K **What are your favorite activities to do while you’re here at Wynn Las Vegas? Eat, because I’m vegan and this is the best hotel in the world for us vegans.I also love the spa and the European-style pool. Catch Jermaine Dupri at Tryst Nightclub on Saturday March 21 (RESERVE) and XS Nightclub on Monday March 30 (RESERVE). Then see him turn up Encore Beach Club on Sunday April 5 (RESERVE). Photo of Jermaine Dupri at XS Nightclub by Danny Mahoney
This Weekend @TrystNightclub
#VEGASBABY!!!
Why Doesn’t Jermaine Dupri Get More Respect? GLENNISHA MORGAN SAYS THE SO SO DEF HITMAN IS CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED
Jermaine Dupri recently claimed that Ciara’s new single, “I Bet” sounds very similar to Usher’s 2001 hit “U Got It Bad,” which he co-produced alongside his longtime producing partner, Bryan-Michael Cox–and itt doesn’t really take a musical genius to hear the similarity between the two tracks. Mirroring the “Blurred Lines” fiasco between Marvin Gaye’s estate and Robin Thicke, which resulted in the court ruling in favor of Gaye’s estate, Dupri is seeking credit for himself and his collaborators. Surprisingly, a lot of the commentary surrounding the situation has been that the Atlanta producer is just another ‘broke dude coming out of the woodwork’ and that JD should just have a seat, which is rather unreasonable, in my opinion. Shouldn’t credit be given where it is due? And even though it’s unfair and presumptuous to equate anyone’s value to their finances, Dupri could possibly have a few extra coins if the producers of Ciara’s new single didn’t change a few chords in order to dodge garnering a sample clearance. Here’s the bigger issue: Jermaine Dupri is one of the most underrated producers of his time. Have the shade throwers forgotten about his hand in presenting the world with Kris Kross, Da Brat, Xscape, Bow Wow and Jagged Edge? And not just as the one-time So So Def mogul, but as the producer who created all of those artist’s biggest hits. His flip of The Jackson 5’s “ABC” for “Jump” alone should put him on some producer lists, but he always seems to be left out of the conversation. Have we forgot his work on TLC’s opus, CrazySexyCool and gifting Usher with My Way and Confessions (which Dupri’s own real life drama provided the backstory.) Mariah Carey, anyone? JD’s contributions to the songstress’ career go far back as lending his So So Def touch to her 1995 hit single “Always Be My Baby,” which played a huge role in helping the racially-ambiguous singer cross over into the ‘urban’ market. After Carey’s very public post-Glitter breakdown, Dupri helped the diva slay and curate one of the biggest come backs ever with the Emancipation of Mimi (which turns 10 next month) and even won a Grammy for it. Jermaine Dupri not only helped establish the sound of some of hip-hop, pop and R&B’s most lauded artists, he helped cultivate the Atlanta sound and bring the intricacy of the South to the masses back when rappers from outside of New York and California had to fight for respect and airplay. Now it would only be fair to mention Dupri’s downfalls. A foreclosure, tax issues, a bad break up with our beloved Janet Jackson (and his hand in her under-whelming 20 Y.O. album) and a questionable exit as president of Virgin Records Urban Music, but it doesn’t take away from his previous achievements and current efforts. The industry and fans alike can be incredibly hard on Black artists. We’re entirely too quick to throw away our greats or laugh at their lows (as we have Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Lil Kim and countless others). We often kick our entertainers when they are down or wait until they are six feet under to present them with flowers. And sometimes, even then we still don’t let them rest. It’s about time to stop beating up on our artists, especially when they have gifted us bodies of work that we’ve partied to, cried to, made love to and more. Quite frankly, it’s just simply unfair to snub someone when they’re trying to obtain what’s rightfully theirs and there is certainly a case to be made for the idea that “I Bet” is a rip-off…even if there’s not a legal one Jermaine Dupri has given us over two decades of hit records and counting. Give that man his props while he’s around to hear them. Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist, writer, photographer and filmmaker. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop and the women in it, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism and her truth. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan or at www.GlennishaMorgan.com. Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/why-doesnt-jermaine-dupri-get-more-respect-503#ixzz3Umk7vZJv Follow us: @EbonyMag on Twitter | EbonyMag on Facebook