Midas touch
Jermaine Dupri has been involved with countless hits, but none might be as satisfying as "I Think They Like Me", Dem Franchise Boyz's breakout smash. In this issue, the song is No. 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. At first glance, No. 6 may seem like small potatoes to a guy like Dupri. After all, he became the youngest-charting producer in music history at the age of 14. He introduced such R&B acts as TLC, Jagged Edge and Xscape to the music world. During the past two years, his Midas touch revived the career of Mariah Carey and generated multiple hit singles for Usher and Bow Wow. In September, no fewer than four singles he produced were in the top 10 of the R&B/hip-hop chart.
But Dem Franchise Boyz are special to Dupri, because they mark his first real hit as president of Virgin Records' urban division. Forget about emancipating Mimi. Dupri is going for a real coup: turning Virgin Records into a powerhouse for urban hits. Right now though, after nearly a year that has not quite yet delivered on his promise, and for a label that has not had even a top 10 urban chart hit since Carey's "Loverboy" in 2001, Dem Franchise Boyz have got to be looking pretty good.
Dupri may be trying to make it as an exec, but any discussion of his career must start with his impressive production résumé. He has been behind the boards for 17 No. 1 R&B/hip-hop singles. In 2005 alone, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 17, for four straight weeks, there were four Dupri-produced singles in the top 10 of the R&B/hip-hop chart (two each for Carey and Bow Wow). Carey revived her career with the first four singles from her smash album, "The Emancipation of Mimi".
"I don't know if people really understand how prolific he is," Carey says. "JD is one of the few examples of the modern-day producer with staying power." Bow Wow adds, "JD is a great songwriter and producer, and his energy and creativity is unlike any other. He really gets to know the artists that he works with, and that's why his songs fit so perfectly." Usher, who collaborated with Dupri on three songs from his 2004 multiplatinum "Confessions" album, also believes that if anyone can make an impact at Virgin, it is Dupri.
"Virgin is incredibly lucky to have Jermaine as president," Carey says. "JD knows how to package music as well as make it. If he were running Virgin when I was there, it would definitely have been different. JD would have been smart enough to keep the project on track. Rather than rush out 'Loverboy' [from Carey's Sony 2001 release, "Glitter"], he would have said, 'I think we should go back in the studio, put our heads together and write a great Mariah Carey first single.' " (In January 2002, Virgin Records terminated its recording contract with Carey and agreed to pay her $28 million to leave the label.) (excerpts from Billboard Magazine)
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