So So Def mogul, Jermaine Dupri, may have recently offended music legends, Babyface, L.A. Reid, and many others who did it big before him. During an interview with Power 105’s The Breakfast Club, Dupri was asked about who first put Atlanta, GA on the map in the music game. Dupri then used the ‘alternative facts’ method when giving his answer to that. See what he had to say below…
Jermaine Dupri’s ‘Facts’
Dupri: “As far as culture, me, I brought people to Atlanta that had never seen Atlanta. I showed everybody in the world Magic City – I was the first person to start throwing money in the club. I had to pay for all the magazines to come to Atlanta – no one was paying attention to what’s going on – as far as culture goes and having parties, bringing Puff, bringing Envy and Clue to Atlanta, that was all me.”
Dupri’s So So Def label didn’t pop off until 1993, but it made an impact with Atlanta’s music scene through his So So Def imprint, with artists like Bow Wow, Da Brat, Xscape, and Kris Kross. However, there’s no denying that his claim of pretty much being the pioneer of Atlanta’s music scene is like a slap in the face to LaFace Records.
Babyface & .A.Reid’s Actual Facts
Babyface and L.A. Reid were the first to put ATL on the map in 1989, when they relocated to the southern city and did what no one had done at that time- build a multiplatinum selling music empire from the ground up. With artists like TLC, Goodie Mob, Outkast, Usher, Toni Braxton, Jermaine Jackson, Pink, Kenny Lattimore & Chante Moore, Shanice, Donell Jones, and many more, LaFace went on to garner major appeal across the United States and internationally. They were also able to break their artists in crossover markets, which meant even bigger paydays. LaFace reportedly grossed approximately $500 MILLION, far more than Dupri’s So So Def label reportedly did. That is not a diss by far though, just the actual facts.
It was also the success of LaFace Records that sparked the initial excitement about Atlanta’s potential. Many people from all over the country started relocating to the ATL, after LaFace’s artists made the city so mainstream. Atlanta’s real estate began to flourish and so did the music scene, with labels such as So So Def capitalizing off of the newfound hype of the city that LaFace Records sparked.
So I said all of this to say, that we should always pay homage, where homage is due…first.
The #1 spot for ATL’s music scene must go to Babyface’s and L.A.Reid’s LaFace Records and their dynamic artists. The #2 spot must go to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label and his dynamic artists as well. They’re all legendary, but there are levels to it. No shade, just actual facts.
