Jermaine Dupri On The Creation of Usher's 'Confessions,' Working With Ari Lennox Again & More

Jermaine Dupri chatted with Billboard’s Carl Lamarre on the red carpet of the 2024 BET Awards.

Transcript

00:00Tonight's a big night. Yeah

00:0220th anniversary of confessions

00:05Favorite moment crafting that out. I

00:09Guess writing confessions, you know, I mean, I guess the title track

00:13Well, I mean, I think I think you know doing burn and getting just getting into the process of that album period not realizing

00:18where it was going and

00:21Seeing it, you know, and then seeing it 20 years later is amazing. I'm opposed to you

00:27When did you realize usher had that it factor because I know you've known him since back back in the day. Um

00:33Yeah, when we first first time we worked

00:35I think we were together on song called think of you and then I did you make me wanna and

00:40The my way album and in the my way album, that's when I realized oh this this guy, you know

00:45We talked about it. We talked about this night. Actually, we talked about everyone giving him his roses at that time

00:52Let's fast forward a little bit. I heard you back in the studio with a special someone miss

00:56Sorry Lennox. How's it been back with miss?

00:59Ari the song is like so good that it might be about to come out immediately. You're lying

01:05Is it better than pressure? I don't know

01:07I never think I don't never know if I could ever top records that I put out before

01:11But I think it's a good song. I think it's exciting. It's a fun song and

01:15She seemed very excited in the studio and anytime I work with artists that you know

01:19I made a post about it anytime over the artists and they excited and they having fun in the studio

01:23It's always it always comes out good

01:25Listen I I love how you're so like analytical when it comes to today's game on your IG

01:30I read about the artists that offered you 10k to listen to his music. So what's the best advice you get for art?

01:37All right, we go get the shot out

01:39What's the best advice you give for young artists trying to break through right? Um, I just try to tell artists what I did

01:47You know, I mean the conversation I had with him was about how I got on and you know, everybody, you know

01:51They tell me they story and they tell me what they differences is in this than a third

01:55I think that still I I still discovered that

01:59I

02:00Took a harder route than a lot of these kids because they sit in front of a computer and push the button

02:05I couldn't even afford a computer

02:07You know I'm saying so it was like even if it was in this period of time when I came up

02:11I didn't have the money to even afford to have a computer in my house

02:15So I still feel like it was tougher for me

02:18So I try to give them my my

02:20Perspective and try to see if they add it to whatever it is. They do I can never give them, you know

02:25Cuz I was grassroots. I was just like, you know hand-to-hand combat, whatever, you know

02:29I didn't have much and all when you when you when you don't have much all you could do is just actually talk to somebody

02:35You know, I mean actually physically be present and that's what I try to tell