The dawn of So So Def 2.0 and a new chapter for Jermaine Dupri
In early September, Jermaine Dupri was busy taking calls at his Southside Studios in Brookhaven. It was the day his compilation album “Magic City” was supposed to drop. But the LP ― inspired by the Starz docuseries “Magic City: An American Fantasy” that Dupri executive produced and premiered in August ― was pushed back to the following week because of sampling issues.
“That’s a part of making rap music, I guess,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, dejectedly.
After all, “Magic City” is Dupri’s first album in more than 20 years. And he wants all eyes and ears on it. Although the Grammy-winning super-producer is responsible for creating an entire generation’s soundtrack in Atlanta and beyond, Dupri approaches his work with a chip on his shoulder as if he has more to prove.
The 53-year-old is the first to tell you that he’s one of the first to do something — and the last to be recognized for it. He fondly recalls being one of the first celebrities to upload day-in-the-life content with his “Living the Life” vlog series on YouTube in the early aughts.
Later in the conversation, Dupri reflected on a more unpleasant memory that continues to sting. When making content for his album this summer on Old National Highway, a MARTA Bus featuring a custom wrapping of him and So So Def randomly drove by. He felt that those around him didn’t acknowledge the significance of “having your own bus running around in the neighborhood you grew up in.” Instead, some thought he paid for it. (He did not.)
It’s that underdog mentality that engineers the legendary hitmaker’s new chapter: reviving So So Def Recordings as the powerhouse label it used to be. This year, the storied music company has experienced a rebrand, embracing a fresh energy that feels like a personal and professional statement for Dupri.
“I think when you start calling somebody a legend, they don’t think you need as much as new artists,” Dupri said. ”I need just as much as anybody. I’m counted out more than anybody. I need all the love I could possibly get.”
So So Def in 2025
Dupri founded So So Def in 1993. The Atlanta-based label helped shape the city as a musical giant in the ’90s and early 2000s with a packed roster of artists including Xscape, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow and Kris Kross. Under the label’s banner, Dupri also produced hits for Mariah Carey, Usher and, more recently, Muni Long.
In the 2010s, the label primarily functioned as a production arm instead of releasing new music and signing new artists. That is until April of this year, when Dupri announced that So So Def had entered a distribution deal with Hybe America. The deal gives So So Def access to Hybe’s marketing resources and the opportunity to launch new artists.
Dupri described the move as a “full-circle moment,” reuniting him with former So So Def employee Scooter Braun, who was Hybe America’s CEO at the time of the announcement. In July, Braun stepped down and moved into a consulting role for the label.
“I didn’t want to be stuck in a place that’s got so many different options where you’re barely looking at what I was doing,” Dupri said of the partnership. “It’s set up in a way where I get the full attention to do what I need to do. And I needed that, because I pretty much put out a lot of music on it when I’m in a space like this.”
Despite Braun’s recent move, Dupri maintains that the partnership is “great” and “like working with family.” He signed R&B duo Dvsn as the first artist under the So So Def/Hybe banner. Since then, the Canadian act has dropped two singles with plans for a full-length project soon.
Signaling So So Def’s comeback is the return of its popular billboard. In the mid 1990s, the original billboard on I-75/85 South was a prominent emblem of Atlanta’s musical excellence, reminding visitors and natives alike that the South does indeed have “something to say.” It was removed in 2009.
This spring, the city worked with Dupri to “put the label back into the mindset of what it was” by reinstating the billboard. Motorists driving northbound on the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector can see it on the left.
Phillana Williams, director of the City of Atlanta’s Office of Film, Entertainment and Nightlife, said the city was happy to resurrect what she calls an “iconic landmark.”
“It gives people a sense of pride ... and it sparks curiosity for younger generations,” Williams said. “I think it gives younger Atlantans and older Atlantans something cultural to talk about. The good thing about Jermaine is that he’s (made music) in so many different decades that younger Atlantans should know who he is.”
Tapped in with the youth
For his “Magic City” album, which dropped on Sept. 12, Dupri was adamant about not making an album that only older generations would enjoy.
“I wasn’t concerned with old, young, who’s hot, blah, blah, blah,” Dupri noted. “This (is) Atlanta. If you go to Magic City, it’s not about who’s old, who’s young in the club, or whatever. It’s like, the vibe of Magic City is, like, everybody’s in the club.”
The 15-track compilation project marked the first official album under So So Def/Hybe. It boasts more than two dozen features — all celebrating the rise, reign and rhythm of Atlanta’s infectious strip club culture.
Leaning on his “Living the Life” roots, he documented the behind-the-scenes process, giving fans a glimpse into his creativity. Songs were recorded at his Southside Studios, almost always on the fly (which partially explains why Dupri couldn’t get desired features from Jeezy, Gucci Mane and Future).
Decades into his career, Dupri found it mentally stimulating to work with new artists, having to figure out how to keep everybody interested and use them in the right way.
Younger artists contribute some of the most exciting moments on “Magic City.” “Magic City Money” features Bunna B and Bankroll Ni, two young Atlanta female rappers whose embrace of the city’s futuristic era yielded hit songs and greater social media presence.
The artists (both in their early 20s) hold their own against rap veterans J Money and Sean Paul on the song. Dupri currently manages Bankroll Ni, the first artist signed to So So Def’s management arm. He is keenly aware that when it comes to Atlanta rap today, “the girls are out here running it.”
“I think it’s time for new artists in Atlanta to start coming out,” Dupri said. “Being one of the first people to put out music in the city to be successful, I feel like it’s part of my job to put that fire back in motion.”
Swavay, a 27-year-old rising Atlanta rapper, is another guest on “Magic City.” He’s featured on “More Than Me,” which also includes budding street lyricist Belly Gang Kushington.
Swavay is the only artist on the album with whom Dupri wasn’t previously familiar. A social media clip of him rapping attracted Dupri’s attention. Now, he says Swavay is the “new Atlanta.”
Working with Dupri was a “dream come true,” said Swavay, citing Bow Wow’s 2001 So So Def-released “Doggy Bag” as the first album he purchased.
While recording “More Than Me,” Swavay credited Dupri with helping him add more energy to his rapping voice.
“The recording was a little bit of me being comfortable with my sound but still being like, nah, I gotta show up right now ... He’s a perfectionist and I’m not going to say no to anything Jermaine Dupri is saying.”
Another way Dupri is connecting with the youth is through a So So Def internship program with Emory University. Four student interns were selected to help Dupri run his studio, coordinate events and produce social media content this spring.
Ella Ferguson, a junior, was one of them. The Fort Worth, Texas, native is a DJ and majors in accounting. She said the internship helped with her communication skills and expand her musical knowledge, especially when they were tasked with posting weekly album reviews on social media.
“He wanted people to hear our opinions and respect that we can tell the truth because he wanted to hear the youth’s perspective when it comes to this new music.”
He plans to bring the internship back next semester.
‘Def Jam of the South’
Dupri’s current vision for the label is the same as it was when he launched in 1993: Make So So Def the “Def Jam of the South.”
He wants to create a label that any popular artist would want to be signed to while developing acts who are on the rise.
“I’m in this lifestyle more than any other CEO you see in labels,” Dupri affirmed. “You don’t see them out. You don’t see them breaking the records the way that I try to break the records. They leave that to somebody else. I’m putting all of that in my lap and trying to run with the ball.”
Although that statement sounds hefty, there’s an untenable truth to it: Dupri has scored 13 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Consequently, in August, the publication ranked him as the No. 1 R&B/hip-hop producer of the 21st century.
Shockingly, Dupri was probably more surprised than anybody by the news.
“I’m still in a space of like, ‘Wow. OK, I made it.’ So what else? What do I got to do to stay in that position, right? That’s all I’m thinking about now, is like, how? How many more records do I gotta make? I gotta beat my No. 1s.”
If you go
96.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball. Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, Nelly, Kehlani and others perform. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18. $47-$350. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta, 404-878-3000. statefarmarena.com.
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
