See Atlanta hip-hop legend Jermaine Dupri’s Atlanta Braves bobblehead
Atlanta hip-hop producer and rap star Jermaine Dupri is the latest local musician to land an Atlanta Braves bobblehead.
The first 15,000 ticketholders who arrive at the Braves game against the San Diego Padres July 22 will receive the bobblehead, the fourth in a series that has featured Outkast, Ludacris and Usher.
Dupri, founder of So So Def Records, was a key player in the 1990s, building the careers of R&B and hip-hop acts like Kris Kross, Da Brat, Xscape, Jagged Edge and Bow Wow. The 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee produced hits for Usher, Mariah Carey, Monica and Jay-Z.
His hit 2001 song “Welcome to Atlanta” also became a city anthem.
“This is far far beyond something I ever thought would happen,” Dupri said in an exclusive statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m super excited to see it and for the message I believe it sends to the young, aspiring producers, entertainers, entrepreneurs and taste makers. I live and breathe Atlanta and nothing says Atlanta more than the Braves!”
On July 22, Dupri will deejay a pregame block party at the Assembly pavilion outside Truist Park. There will be a special So So Def food truck featuring items like “Welcome to Atlanta” lemon pepper wings. And Dupri will throw out the first pitch at 7:15 p.m.
“He’s considered the mayor of Atlanta hip hop,” said Jori McMurtrey Palmer, Braves senior director of marketing and advertising. “It should be a fun night.”
The Braves have been giving away bobbleheads for a quarter century. The first two in 2001 were future Hall of Famers Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones. Until 2023, the team stuck with Braves-related bobbleheads, primarily ballplayers, though they have honored the team mascot Blooper, longtime usher Walter Banks and two beloved Braves icons who died last week: former owner Ted Turner and the team’s winningest manager Bobby Cox.
But Palmer said fellow Braves marketing exec Eugene Brooks won the staff over with the idea of expanding into the music world.
“So many music figures in town are big Braves fans,” Palmer said.
The first choice in 2023 was rap duo Outkast, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025. The design features Big Boi and André 3000 in a red Cadillac convertible and was so popular that the Braves held a second Outkast bobblehead giveaway in 2024.
“After that, we had other artists call us and raise their hand,” Palmer said.
The Braves marketing team approached Dupri with the idea of making him a bobblehead when he was working with them at last year’s All-Star game. The final result is inspired by an outfit Dupri wore during a 2024 Braves game when he was promoting the intersection of sports, culture and fashion.
“He’s been wonderful to work with,” Palmer said. “He was very involved in the design and concept.”
Creating a bobblehead is an intricate process, she said, noting that the Braves need six to nine months of lead time for every bobblehead promotion. Each bobblehead, she noted, is hand-carved from clay in China.
Palmer added that there may be at least one other musician honored later this season with a bobblehead.
For collectors, these particular bobbleheads hold modest value.
On eBay, buyers have recently scooped up the Outkast bobblehead for $44.99 to $59.99. The Ludacris version has sold for between $15 to $34.99 in recent weeks. Usher’s bobblehead has sold for as low as $13 and as much as $24.99.
This season, the Braves are planning a major freebie promotion 26 times out of 81 home games.
Many of those are bobbleheads or combo bobbleheads and trading cards. Among current players, they’ve already created a replica of ace pitcher Chris Sale April 29, while upcoming bobbleheads include outfielder Michael Harris II May 13, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. June 16, first baseman and early MVP candidate Matt Olson July 6 and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim July 21
The Braves are also honoring four past greats with fresh bobbleheads: outfielder David Justice June 2, new Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Andruw Jones July 30, catcher Javy López Aug. 12 and outfielder Andrés Galarraga Aug. 14.
The Braves are also trying a couple of new items: a Hawaiian shirt for the May 12 game and a series of upcoming “crossover” jerseys: a Drake Baldwin hockey jersey June 3, a soccer jersey June 17, a Harris football jersey Aug. 10 and an Acuña basketball jersey Sept. 24.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
