WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Not since Russell Simmons joined his record label Def Jam with Island Records in 1998 has there been a merger of the rap and hip-hop world with the world of the corporate music industry as there was Monday, when Jermaine Dupri was named head of Virgin Records Urban Music.
In an effort to increase competitiveness in the music industry, Virgin Records launched a new division of the label called Urban Music, which will add Dupri's So So Def label to the Virgin label. As president of the new division, Dupri will oversee Virgin's entire urban music operation, record as a solo artist, produce artists on the Virgin label, and support all EMI Music labels with his production services.
"Modern music, at least most of it, is urban based," Chairman and CEO Matt Serletic told United Press International. "So to really compete in the industry we have to stay up on what's modern."
Serletic said industry trends lead members of Virgin's senior management to focus on developing the label's marketability in the urban genre, including rap, hip-hop, and R&B.
"It's been a goal of ours for the past couple years to develop the urban music division of Virgin," Serletic said. "Aside from one or two artists, there wasn't really a solid base of urban music here."
And that's where Jermaine Dupri comes into the picture.
Dupri's career in the music industry began when he was barely 10 years old, when, to the delight of concert-goers, he danced on stage at a 1982 Diana Ross show that Dupri's father, Michael Mauldin coordinated. By 14, Dupri produced and secured a record contract for Silk Tymes Leather, and two years later he formed So So Def in Atlanta.
At 19, Dupri produced his first Number One record on the Billboard Hot 100, Kris Kross's 1992 single, "Jump." The album, Totally Krossed Out (Ruffhouse/Columbia), had more than five million sales and launched Dupri into the spotlight as one of the first young entrepreneurs who made hip-hop a commercial force in mainstream music.
In 1993, Dupri signed Xscape and Da Brat to his new So So Def label, and has subsequently worked with artists including TLC, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Chingy, Ludacris, and Toni Braxton. He also produced and co-wrote Mariah Carey's hit "Always Be My Baby" and "The First Night" by Monica.
After collaborating with Snoop Doggy Dogg, Outkast, Slick Rick, and Master P, Dupri released his first solo album in 1998 under the name JD.
Most recently, Dupri's success has been notably with Usher's 2004 album, Confessions. He produced three hits with the artist, Burn, Confessions Part II, and "My Boo" (a duet with Alicia Keys), and with over eight million sales, Confessions was the best-selling album of the year. A six-time Grammy nominee, this year, Dupri is twice nominated for Best R&B Song Grammy and shares the nomination for Album of the Year with Usher for Confessions.
"Jermaine's talent is singular," Serletic said. "This position really developed from his ability and talent."
Virgin COO/General Manager Larry Mestel added in a statement released from the New York U.S. headquarters, "(Dupri) is a rare blend of artist, talent magnet, creative visionary, and businessman. We are very luck to add someone of Jermaine's stature in the creative community to our senior management team."
"By joining So So Def and Virgin, I plan to do for Virgin what Russell Simmons did 10 years ago, when he moved Def Jam to Island Records," Dupri said. "I will catapult Virgin into a young, hip label with chart topping success in both R&B and rap music."
Simmons is known in some circles as the "Godfather of Rap." He is credited with making hip-hop the music of choice for an entire generation of teenagers, and thus ushering rap music into the corporate world where money could be made.
In 1984, Simmons co-founded Def Jam records with producer Rick Rubin, and together they made Def Jam the premiere label in the history of hip-hop. They signed artists such as LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Redman, Method Man, DMX, and Ja Rule.
By 1999, Simmons reportedly sold his 40 percent share of Def Jam for $100 million to Universal Music Group. Today, Simmons is considered the most important and respected businessman in the rap industry.
As Def Jam did for Island Records under the Universal Music Group family, Dupri said he plans to change the look of Virgin so that new R&B and rap artists will be more attracted to signing on with the record label.
"It looks like a calm company right now," Dupri told UPI. "I want to turn it around, make it hot, you know? Give Virgin some bling. It's going to look more like a rap label. Right now it don't really look like a place where rap and R&B lives."
Dupri admitted he had some worries about being the first artist/producer to make such a large step into a management position at a label like Virgin, with the exception of Simmons, but said he's confident he's up for the challenge.
"It's only me and Da Brat that's coming over from So So Def," Dupri said, "So that makes it harder for me. But I'm used to starting over. I'm still the youngest executive in the game. You always have to worry."
Dupri compared his new position to making beats for a new artist in the studio.
"I always work better when I'm on edge," Dupri said. "I only make beats when the artist comes. I like to feel nervous like that. Like I gotta do something real good right there with the artist, when there's pressure."
