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Jermaine Dupri (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1973 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a US record producer and rapper.
Starting out as a teenage breakdancer for artists such as Diana Ross and Cameo, Dupri became the youngest charting producer in the history of music at age 14. Dupri went on to produce a number of hits for artists such as TLC, Jay-Z, and Ludacris. He is founder/president/CEO of his own label, So So Def Records, which has been the home to artist such as Da Brat, Jagged Edge, and Xscape. Juvenille rap acts such as Kris Kross and Bow Wow have been some of his biggest successes; Dupri earned significant amounts of songwriting royalties by ghostwriting for such acts.
In addition, Dupri has persued a performing carer of his own, which has resulted in hits such as "Money Ain't A Thing" (1998, with Jay-Z) and "Welcome To Atlanta" (2001, with Ludacris).
So So Def, a label specializing in Southern rap and bass music, was originally distributed through Sony Entertainment/Columbia Records. In 2003, Dupri was appointed president of Arista Black Music and moved So So Def and its artists there.
Jermaine Dupri is currently engaged to pop star Janet Jackson, and is currently working on both her next LP and his own follow-up, to be entitled Greenlight.
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