Check The Credits: Jermaine Dupri

Earlier this year, Jermaine Dupri celebrated 20 years of his So So Def imprint with an anniversary concert featuring appearances and performances from JAY Z, Mariah Carey, Usher, Ludacris, Monica and Young Jeezy. It didn’t matter that none of those names mentioned were ever signed to So So Def. That’s because JD has made a career of crafting game-changing or career-altering hits for just about every artist in attendance that night. For instance, at a time when even diehard Mariah fans were beginning to count the songbird out, JD stepped in and produced gems like “We Belong Together,” “It’s Like That,” “Shake It Off” and “Don’t Forget About Us” – propelling her comeback and continuing her reign as one of Pop music’s queens. In 2004, Usher’s Confessions established him as a true megastar. Three of the four number-one records from that album were co-written and produced by Dupri. And while JAY Z was already well on his way to becoming the King of New York, it wasn’t until linking up with JD for “Money Ain’t A Thang” that Hov’s takeover of the South began. Put simply, Jermaine Dupri’s contributions to popular music have been nothing less than astonishing and with recent sessions with Mariah Carey and Usher it can only mean one of Billboard’s Top 10 producers of the last decade is preparing for his next 20 years of hits. Check out Mr. “Y’all Know What This Is” as he gives Life+Times the stories behind some of the biggest records of the last two decades.