jermaine dupri
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A comedian’s racist joke at the campaign rally for Donald Trump in New York shocked Jermaine Dupri, who expressed his disbelief on social media.
On Sunday (October 27), Madison Square Garden in New York City hosted a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The tone quickly went racist, with one joke shocking veteran producer & rap artist Jermaine Dupri who shared it on social media. Tony Hinchcliffe, a self-described “shock comedian” said that a Black friend of his “had a Halloween party last night. We had fun. We carved watermelons together.”
The So So Def Records founder shared the clip in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Is this real? How can any Black person be f——g with this?” The odious joke was among several that Hinchcliffe would serve up during his set, which took place a half hour into the rally. It set a tone followed by other speakers, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump lawyer Alina Habba, and media personality Dr. Phil. That joke, among others, left Republicans divided. Some issued public statements afterward, with Florida Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar stating in a post on X, formerly Twitter that “This rhetoric doesn’t reflect GOP values.” In another post later, Hinchcliffe wrote “These people have no sense of humor,” adding that people should “watch the whole set.”
Those seeing Dupri’s post were in agreement over how offensive Hinchcliffe’s joke was. They blasted those present at the rally as well as Black Trump supporters. Some also mentioned Florida Representative Byron Donalds being a speaker at the rally as a disgrace. Others also reminded the Hip-Hop icon about his questioning of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ credentials in August. One user’s response to Jermaine Dupri was succinct: “This is why people flamed you for that dumb video. This is the s–t they are doing out in the open.”
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Source: @jermainedupri / Twitter
Jermaine Dupri questioned the duties of Vice President Kamala Harris and why she should be president, leading to social media mocking him thoroughly.
On Friday (August 23), the legendary producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri shared a video in a post on X, formerly Twitter, as he was out for a walk/jog to express his thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris being named the presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention the night before. While he feels the Democrats are doing “amazing” and conceded that Harris was in a strenuous position, he wondered what would be different if she were to be elected in November. “What makes y ‘all believe that she’s going to get this stuff done if she becomes president and she’s already in the house,” he asked.
The So So Def Records founder went on to share details from a conversation he had with Vice President Harris beforehand. “I asked her like as the vice president, why they don’t let her talk when, you know, Biden seems like he needs or he needed someone to speak up to him,” he said, claiming she told him her “hands were tied.” Dupri continued, “You know, I want to see how she, if she even touches on this, because if she doesn’t touch on it, that’s the question that I feel like the people that are, that have mixed decisions about voting for her, this is one of the questions,” stating it’s a major criticism from the Republican Party. The video would earn him some serious backlash on social media, with many making fun of his past split with superstar Janet Jackson and accusing him of being a Trump supporter. He would agree to a discussion with journalist Roland Martin after he reached out to him.
In the Instagram Live conversation, Dupri began: “I’m not a Republican, alright? Let’s be clear: I am with Kamala Harris. Let’s be clear. And I feel like a lot of y’all was just talking s**t ‘cause y’all thought that I was on the other side,” adding “Everybody knows that she’s in the White House, so she has to continue to support what’s happening in the White House right now.” The former News One Now host concurred, saying: “You have more freedom to speak as a U.S. Senator or a House member than you do as a vice president.”
Check out the responses to Jermaine Dupri’s post below.
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HipHopWired got the exclusive opportunity to talk with the filmmakers behind the highly anticipated Hulu documentary, Freaknik: The Wildest Story Never Told.
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For those in the know, Freaknik was not just a party that gathered nearly every Black person down in Atlanta, Georgia, every spring, but it was a veritable cultural moment. When word broke late last year that there would be a documentary about Freaknik, many immediately wondered if it would focus only on the wildness that came to be associated with the event.
But in Freaknik: The Wildest Story Never Told, we get a clear-eyed and compelling account of Freaknik in all of its aspects thanks to testimony from numerous people including Jermaine Dupri and Luther “Uncle Luke Campbell” (who are executive producers), Lil Jon, 21 Savage and more.
HipHopWired got the chance to talk with producers Jay Allen, Nikki Byles and executive producer Terry “TR” Ross about their experiences in making this documentary and their perspective on Freaknik as it makes its premiere on Hulu March 21.
HipHopWired: How did this documentary project get onto your radar, and how were you all involved?
Jay Allen: So Nikki and I were a few years younger, and we didn’t get to attend Freaknik. But we’ve always heard the stories of Freaknik from family, cousins and friends. Because we live in Atlanta, we always talk about what it would have been like to be there. And then we realized that we wanted to really tell the story. So she and I put together a pitch deck. We put together a sizzle [reel], we got all that stuff together. And then we were trying to figure out what the next steps were. The first thing that Nikki did was, she got on the phone and got Uncle Luke involved.
Nikki Byles: I just happened to reach out to someone and said, “Hey, I need Luke and please let me talk to him.” And so based on that, we ended up telling him what we wanted, and he ended up flying to Atlanta to meet with us. And after we went over everything, he was like, “Yep, I’m on board. Let’s get it.” Then, we spoke with Terry, he added JD [Jermaine Dupri]. Because you definitely need both. And he looked for the ambassador of Freaknik. And you need JD for the music.
Terry “TR” Ross: Well, not only that, but you need JD because he’s one of the most pivotal people in Atlanta right now. So we needed him for that too, not just for the music. I mean, they call him the “mayor of Atlanta.”
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Jay: Terry helped us fill in some of the gaps. So we went to LA, sat down in the studio with Terry, and just talked to him about what our vision was. And we told him we had Luke and this is what we’re trying to do. And from then, Terry jumped in and really helped us grow this thing, and also that we could start to take it to market.
Terry: So, basically they brought it to me. And I was extremely interested in it. I thought it was compelling. Because first and foremost, that was the reason why I moved to Atlanta, it was because of Freaknik. I had (Mayor) Kasim Reed – whom I went to Howard with in D.C., and I was from D.C. – Kasim Reed, he’s an Atlanta native. And he said, “You guys need to come to Atlanta for this thing called Freaknik.”
And we’d never heard of it, so we decided to go to Atlanta, and we put on this huge concert for Freaknik. And after that, it was just like, “Yo, I want to live here. I want to move here.” And so we decided to move there. This has come full circle because this is my first film project. Freaknik being the reason I moved to Atlanta, and Freaknik being the first film project I did was really amazing.
When Nikki and Jay brought it to me, I went, “This is something that needs to be told, because the story had never been told the right way.” I said that we need to get the people that have been in Atlanta that’s going to make the documentary where people are going to be authentic and really want to get into it. So me, Nikki and Jay, we met with JD, we met him at a Starbucks.
Jay: I want to highlight how we met him at the Starbucks. We met him outside of a Starbucks where Nikki sat on the ground and typed everything. Me and Terry pummeled him with questions, and it was in the middle of COVID and JD had like four masks on. (Laughs) All this happened in the middle of Atlanta in the middle of COVID.
Terry: Then we decided it would be best to, you know, get some of the tastemakers in Atlanta and start interviewing them. Who did we interview first, Chaka (Zulu)?
Jay: The first was Chaka after JD?
Nikki: Yeah, because we had to get them all in while TR was there.
Jay: Yeah, I think we had Kasim, Too Short, Kenny Burns –
Nikki: For some reason, I remember speaking to Mannie Fresh. (Laughs)
Jay: There were many people in there, yeah. (Laughs)
Terry: KP and Shanti Das, who was very instrumental in breaking OutKast because they broke in Atlanta during Freaknik. She was at LaFace [Records]. Rico Wade of Dungeon Family & Organized Noise.
Jay: You’re the only one getting this story. No one else has asked this, so just know this is an exclusive right here. (Laughs)
HipHopWired: So in terms of interviews and the experience of getting testimonials from folks that attended and those who were in opposition – what was that experience like talking to everyone and getting their recollections?
Jay: Before or after we started filming? Because that’s two different sets.
HipHopWired: After, because as you said with the teaser, there were those that were kind of wondering “Well, what’s going on? What is this going to be?”
Jay: I think when Terry talks about this – we weren’t passing out checks for people to be a part of this. Terry was really picking up the phone. Nikki was really picking up the phone. And these people were coming to sit and talk and tell us their Freaknik stories and help us piece it together. For the love. For the love of the people that have a relationship to it. And that’s how we were able to make the story come together.
Terry: Everybody’s story was different, especially Too Short’s, Lil Jon’s, and of course, JD. Because JD wasn’t even old enough to attend Freaknik, so he would just hang outside in the parking lot and just pass out his tapes. And that’s pretty much how Shanti said they broke OutKast, because they had these tapes that they were passing out, and then people were playing them in their cars. Because there was nowhere to go, you couldn’t move. (Laughs) So they would pop the tape in and they were just riding up and down the street and people were bumping OutKast.
Jay: And these are people that are legends now, like Shanti. Yeah, she’s one of the biggest women in music entertainment. Kasim Reed was just an early law student then, and Kasim is literally explaining to us how the government was working back then. One thing that didn’t make it to the documentary that was super interesting is how important Southwest Atlanta was to all of this coming together. And it was a really incredible story. Because Shanti, Kasim – there’s a group of mayors that all come from Southwest Atlanta. And they really just broke down the story. So you’re literally seeing the people that are the biggest leaders in their industries—from music to executives to politics—really be at the forefront of what Freaknik was and what it became.
HipHopWired: Building off of that, how happy are you guys with the reception that you’ve gotten so far with this documentary, showing such a cultural moment for Atlanta and the South overall?
Terry: I always say this: Atlanta wouldn’t be Atlanta without Freaknik. It would not be the same. Freaknik made Atlanta what it is today. Hands down, no doubt. Because people came from all over the country to Atlanta and then stayed. So you started getting a bunch of Black people from different parts of the country that came down and started having their own record labels. We built our record label out of Atlanta, we had a record label called Noontime.
We had Jazze Pha, Brian Michael Cox, Ciara and Latoya Luckett. All of these people came from us. And then you had the LaFace standard, and you had So So Def, and then you had Dallas Austin. And then you had the Dungeon Family. Freaknik started flourishing because of all of the different people that were coming into Atlanta and getting that culture because that was a whole different culture down there than any other city.
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HipHopWired: If there is one – you can narrow it down to one – what was your all-time favorite moment making this film?
Nikki: My favorite moment, all-time favorite was Clay Evans. Getting his interview and talking to him about his time at Freaknik. I wish we could have just shown his whole interview. How he acted; y’all he acted so crazy that day of filming. He wouldn’t let anybody talk to him. I was the only one allowed to talk to him. Nobody else can look him in the face. Everybody refers to him in the third person. (Laughs) Yeah, he sent me a two-page rider and let me know that he wanted oysters, but he’s the only one that does the shucking. I provided nothing. I gave him juice. And you have a good day.
Terry: We can’t leave out a very important partner. And that’s Alex Avant who was Clarence Avant’s son. I’m good friends with him. Alex was instrumental in bringing Hulu to the table. So, Alex saw the vision as well.
Jay: And to piggyback on what TR said, my favorite moment of the film is not even a film. What people don’t know is with me, Nikki and TR, other people are in the mix. For me, Nikki and TR are on the frontlines of this. And people know what we went through just putting together materials to pitch, to talk to people to get them convinced, to tap into his entire network, TR tapping into his entire network. And to see the big billboards in LA and New York and everywhere else off the idea that we were literally sitting with, like looking at each other like, “Are we crazy? Is this is a good idea?”
We’re at South by Southwest and we all look at the crowd like, “Oh, we did it.” That’s the moment for me that I was just like…you can’t let people tell you that you’re crazy. We did get rejection letters from people, people who told us that this wasn’t relevant and nobody cared about it. So to have a billboard in Times Square in the middle of a promotion that broke the internet? It just makes me appreciate these people on this call. I know we believe in ourselves and we kept pushing from day one. Never, never hesitated. And we should give some love to Tamara Knetchel. Tam connected us, she’s an unsung hero.
Source: Hulu / hulu
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A new documentary series taking viewers inside the notable Magic City gentlemen’s club produced by Drake and Jermaine Dupri debuted at SXSW to rave reviews.
If you mention Magic City to anyone in and out of Atlanta, Georgia, you’re bound to get an approving response. The well-known strip club is the focus of a new documentary series, Magic City: An American Fantasy, which has Hip-Hop icon Jermaine Dupri and superstar Drake as producers. However, it is not currently attached to any distributor or platform. The series made its debut at the South By Southwest Festival Monday (March 11), with director Charles Todd and producer Cole Brown on hand to field questions from the audience along with fellow producer Jami Gertz after the first episode was screened at the Zach Theatre in Austin, Texas.
On the red carpet, Todd spoke of the influence that the strip club has. “Magic City is a purveyor of culture, and its an A&R – all the biggest hits that you hear on the radio, if it doesn’t break at Magic City, it doesn’t break, period.” Brown also spoke about the fine line everyone walked in bringing the series to the screen. “We wanted to walk a fine line with nudity, in particular — where you can’t make a documentary about a strip club and not have any nudity, it just isn’t true to form — and you’re trying to tell the true story,” he said. “At the same time, we didn’t want it to be salacious, gratuitous. We wanted to use it in such a way that you’re getting an image of what this place is. But if you go to Magic City, you see all the anatomy.”
That was underscored by Gigi McGuire, a former dancer at Magic City who appeared at the premiere and appears nude in the series. “I understood the vision of the artistic value of what they were trying to achieve, and I had no problem with agreeing to show these titties,” she told the audience, adding: “Strip is art, and the art is being celebrated, clearly.” In addition to Drake, the series also features appearances by Big Boi, Shaquille O’Neal, T.I., Killer Mike and Nelly.
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Jermaine Dupri thought he got a fit off, but X users vehemently disagreed.
Usher’s highly anticipated Apple Music Halftime performance at Super Bowl LVIII blessed us with many moments worth talking about and, most importantly, joking about.
One person catching heat on social media is So So Def general Jermaine Dupri and his choice of drip, which many believe was so so trash.
Dupri hit the stage during the performance, rocking a black short suit with a white button-up underneath paired with some eyebrow-raising socks and loafers.
Many viewers thought Durpi was CeeLo Green at first. One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “MY MAMA THOUGHT JERMAINE DUPRI WAS CEELO LMFAOOOOOOOO.”
Others couldn’t help but clown Dupri’s fit, especially his choice of socks.
Even Suge Knight got in on the fun. Also, how the hell is he running an X account from prison?
Of course, the slander of his fit didn’t get past him, and Dupri decided to respond via Instagram by showing that his socks were from Louis Vuitton.
In the caption for the post, he wrote, Ha!! ok I ain’t have time for y’all last night I was too drunk, me and my homies performed at the Super Bowl!so I’m just really seeing y’all got me fucked up !! But I will say it’s funny as hell,yoooo!! @pharrell you see this !? PS we came into this game with our clothes on backwards, i ain’t no regular nigga.”
Little did Dupri know that his responding by showing us he bought a pair of overpriced socks would only worsen the situation.
We’re glad Jermaine Dupri is being a good sport about the jokes. You can see more reactions to his awful fit in the gallery below.
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You can add Jermaine Dupri to the growing list of musicians who are leveraging their material. He has partnered with Create Music Group for a publishing deal for So So Def Records.
As reported by Variety Magazine the music mogul has gone into partnership with Create Music Group. The multi-year agreement allows the Los Angeles, California music company to monetize not only Jermaine Dupri’s publishing as a writer and producer but also the back catalog for So So Def Records. Not only will deal include his stellar catalog but an appointment as Creative Director at CMG that will allow him sign new acts and release new music.
The “Welcome To Atlanta” rapper expressed his enthusiasm in a statement. “I have been looking for a home for the entire So So Def brand so I can continue to do what I started,” he said. Jonathan Strauss, CEO & founder of Create Music Group, also detailed his excitement saying “Jermaine has been one of the most successful and impactful forces in music for the last three decades. We are honored that he and his team have decided to partner with us for both his catalog and future output.”
Included in the So So Def Records catalog are several hallmark Hip-Hop and R&B albums including releases from Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri’s debut album Life In 1472.
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Jermaine Dupri has seen plenty in his still-ongoing career as a performer, producer, and music executive, and he’s celebrating the 30th anniversary of his iconic label, So So Def Records, this year. During a recent Instagram post dedicated to the anniversary, Jermaine Dupri shared a story of DMX robbing a music reporter with his dogs during the recording of Dupri’s debut studio album.
In a series titled “30th Anniversary Stories,” Jermaine Dupri is sharing some of the career highlights he’s accumulated over the years in his various roles along with his unique insider perspective in some of the biggest moments in the culture.
While recording his 1998 studio debut album Life in 1472, Dupri spoke about a visit he made to New York during the session recordings for the project and decided to hire a music reporter to capture the experience. Dupri couldn’t quite recall if the reporter worked for The Source but did send them to the recording studio where they encountered DMX.
Dupri goes on to say that DMX grilled the reporter then robbed them of their belongings via dog point, no guns or other weapons were involved. It isn’t known if the reporter recovered their goods or if Dupri did some damage control but the memory of the moment had the veteran exec chuckling.
Check out Jermaine Dupri and his wild DMX story in the Instagram video below.
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A new iHeart Media podcast featuring veteran music executive “Legendary Jerry” Clark will focus on the history of Southern rap music with exclusive interviews and more.
iHeartPodcasts announced that they are in collaboration with Jerry Clark to release a new podcast titled Storytime with Legendary Jerry. Clark has been an influential figure in the music industry and in Atlanta’s rap scene itself, having been a VP of Promotions for Steve Rifkind’s SRC/Universal Music label and working in the same capacity for So So Def/Def Jam after being sought out by Jermaine Dupri and the late Shakir Stewart.
The podcast will feature Clark sitting down and diving into an enlightening and engrossing journey into the rise of the Southern rap music scene, done with interviews with some of its greatest artists and figures such as Jermaine Dupri, T.I., Killer Mike, Tony Draper, and more. The episodes aim to give listeners an unfettered look at what goes into the creative process for artists as well as how executives at that level work with artists and the label to produce the best results.
Clark expressed his happiness with the podcast. “I am thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with iHeartMedia,” said Clark in a statement. “This podcast is about celebrating the vibrant landscape of Southern rap and paying homage to the artists, executives, and visionaries who have shaped it. We will delve into the stories behind the scenes, offering listeners a front-row seat to the birth and evolution of this influential genre.”
“Southern rappers have had a strong influence on the genre and this podcast will deliver a range of informative insights and never-before-heard stories from the experts and icons for our passionate music fans who are immersed in the culture,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts in the press release.
“Storytime with Legendary Jerry” will make its debut on November 8, 2023. For more information on the launch and upcoming guests, check out iheartmedia.com/podcasts.
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Verzuz will reportedly make its return to Madison Square Garden in late summer where Jermaine Dupri and Sean “Diddy’ Combs will face off. Diddy confirmed the showdown with Busta Rhymes according to video footage, and Verzuz co-founder Swizz Beatz confirmed the news via social media.
Verzuz, now in its third season reportedly, which last took place in July 2022, is still one of the most anticipated music events of its sort. Dupri and Diddy were long positioned to square off with one another and the two mega-producers have both egged on the battle with some lighthearted chatter.
It would be a fitting battle to witness considering both men have dozens upon dozens of hits between them and have worked with some of the biggest names in the business on the production front. They’ve also been front-facing artists and are no strangers to performing in front of a large crowd.
With the Verzuz happening at MSG, it isn’t exactly neutral ground as Diddy was raised just up the way in Mount Vernon, N.Y. That said, Dupri made his mark early on as a background dancer for the legendary Hip-Hop trio, Whodini, and isn’t the type to back down from a challenge.
According to Diddy and Swizz, the battle will take place on Sept. 8 but more details are certain to emerge as the months roll on.
The only question that remains is, who will you be rooting for? Sound off in the comments section.
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After years of competitive banter and cold feet, a date has reportedly been set for the epic Verzuz battle between music legends Diddy and Jermaine Dupri.
In a video shared over the weekend, Diddy confirms to Busta Rhymes that the show will take place on Sept. 8, at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. “We gon’ have you out the rafters flying out the sky,” he excitedly added.
While fans have been murmuring about a potential battle between the Atlanta mainstay and Bad Boy CEO since 2020, the two legends joined the conversation in 2021, after Dupri challenged Diddy in a tweet. Initially, Diddy turned his proposition down, declaring that Dupri didn’t have enough hits. “I’ll smash you with just Biggie n Mary [J. Blige]. But I do have the utmost respect on you as a musical legend,” he said, adding, “[Dr.] Dre the only one can get in the ring w me.”
The two even playfully argued during an Instagram Live with Fat Joe and Snoop Dogg about who would win, but in 2022 they said they’d go head-to-head in a “non-Verzuz” battle, after co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland filed a $28 million lawsuit against Verzuz parent company Triller. “We’re not f—ing with Triller until they take care of Timb and Swizz,” Diddy said in a now-deleted video. In September 2022, Swizz and Tim settled their lawsuit with Triller, now owning a larger share of the company.
While neither Timbaland nor Verzuz have yet to comment on the scheduled date, Swizz shared a number of posts to his Instagram Story confirming the battle. A number of memorable Verzuz battles have already taken place at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden, including The LOX vs. Dipset and Ja Rule vs. Fat Joe.
While many fans think Diddy will come out on top, others note that Dupri’s pen is untouchable, and that the So So Def founder is individually responsible for a number of diamond hits, while Diddy often collaborated with a team. Come September, all that will matter is the court of public opinion, as Verzuz does not declare an official winner to their battles.
Dupri has reached RIAA-certified diamond success thanks to his work on Usher’s Confessions and has achieved 11 career Hot 100 No. 1 records. Diddy boasts his own set of impressive achievements as a producer and artist, playing a pivotal role in the careers of icons including Mary J Blige and Biggie Smalls.