Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American songwriter, record producer, rapper, and music executive. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music at the age of 9.

Building So So Def from Atlanta's basement in 1993, Jermaine Dupri became the architect behind some of the '90s biggest crossover moments—spotting Usher's potential as a teenager and shepherding him into superstardom while simultaneously producing hits for Mariah Carey and collaborating with Jay-Z on tracks that bridged the gap between Def Jam's hard edge and the melodic sensibilities of the South. His knack for identifying raw talent and polishing it into commercial gold made him one of the few executives who could move seamlessly between R&B, pop, and hip-hop without losing credibility in any lane. Though his catalog of solo albums never quite matched the commercial firepower of his production work, Dupri's influence on how Atlanta executives operate—blending artist development with shrewd business—remains foundational to the city's dominance.