Jermaine Dupri talks about his departure from Island Def Jam and calls out L.A. Reid.
What a way to start off 2009, huh?
Jermaine Dupri clears the air about his “departure” (a classier way for saying that he was “terminated”) from Island Def Jam and says that no one understood him or his vision. Well, aren’t well all misunderstood? Don’t we all have dreams and visions and no one wants to pay attention to us? But to call out L.A. Reid and say that he was jealous of JD, hmmm…..now why does this sound like some old Dame Dash/Jay-Z type of thing? Sigh, men……
ESSENCE.COM: Was it an amicable parting?
DUPRI: I haven’t spoken to L.A. [Reid] in three months. I don’t know if it’s amicable [considering] that they claim they put me out. I feel like it’s not amicable. Don’t lie, be real about the situation. It goes back to their having the attitude of let’s try and do something that’s going to hurt this person, because if it hurts us we have nowhere to go after this, but he does and has at least another 20 more years in this business. Again, if L.A. [Reid] gets fired, there will be at least another ten people who will also get fired and we’ll never see them again. Def Jam is like one big clique.ESSENCE.COM: Although it’s been three months since you’ve spoken to L.A. Reid, would you be open to reconciliation?
DUPRI: I don’t know. I saw a side of him that I had never seen before and that to me was a jealous side. I don’t know if I should be around people who are jealous of me. Mariah Carey sold more records in that entire Def Jam building and all of that was through my singles; so I’m looking like the golden boy. I only started thinking about it after I left. (source)
You know what’s funny about this whole interview? The fact that he got let go and then he starts naming names. What does one gain out of calling out someone? Does JD think that if he goes down then he’s taking everyone else with him? We are still in a recession and people are trying to hold onto their jobs, hello?
Posted: January 12th, 2009 under Really now?, WTF?, What's the point?, ego, emotional, music, work.
Comments: 6
comments
Comment from Martini
Time: January 12, 2009, 11:12 am
It’s funny how he’s not putting out any current hits and hasn’t for a while but deflects his shortcomings to ride on LA Reid possibly being jealous. LA is still in the game, which must mean he’s doing something right. JD needs to go recoup somewhere and come up with plan B- because with all that drama he had with bankruptcy and financial issues just several years ago, not having a paycheck now will surely dampen his 2009.
Comment from LaKeshia@Kreative Talk
Time: January 12, 2009, 11:31 am
I second Martini’s point!
Comment from Quick
Time: January 12, 2009, 3:26 pm
…i bet Janet’s departure didn’t help this situation ANY. It’s just a shame that things have to get nasty
Comment from PUSSYCATFUN
Time: January 12, 2009, 5:15 pm
JERMAIN NEED TO SIDDOWN…HOMEBOY FELL THE EFF OFF AND NOBODY IS FEELIN’ HIS WACK MISIC!
HE LOOK LIKE A EFFIN FROG……L.A.REID DON’T HAVE NO MORE TIME TO SPEND ON MR. MAGOO!
Comment from Muhammad
Time: January 12, 2009, 10:33 pm
Jermaine Dupri is Atlanta’s version of Puff. He does have his name as the producer of Mariah’s last 4 number one singles (3 from Emancipation of Mimi & 1 from E=MC2), but you know he had underling of his do the majority of the work while he just added a cymbal while taking the majority of the production credit. It is a recession, and the music industry may be seeing it the worst. That’s why a number of high level employees in these companies are being excessed, and that’s also why Jay-Z is a brilliant bastard. He saw this & decided to get a contract with Live Nation. With all the downloading going on, he decided that there’s nothing like actually seeing a performance IN PERSON & that can’t be pirated really. Jermaine has enough money though. He’ll just have to spend some of that expense account that could probably pay the national debt.
Comment from Marcus LANGFORD
Time: January 14, 2009, 3:56 am
That was not kosher of Jermaine to blast Reid like that; it makes him look bad. He talks about Def Jam being a big clique, well aren’t most corporations like that!? I think it’s called loyalty JD.
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