NEW YORK, NY (Virgin Records) - Virgin Urban
Music President
Jermaine Dupri won his first Grammy Award for his songwriting work with
Mariah Carey on her album "The Emancipation of Mimi." Winners in the 48th Annual Grammy Awards were announced last night in Los Angeles.
Dupri won the Best R&B Song Grammy along with Carey, Virgin/So So Def artist Johnta Austin and other co-writers, for "We Belong Together." The song, a 14-week Number One on both the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, is acknowledged as the trigger of a tremendous career resurgence for Carey. Dupri co-wrote and produced with Carey every one of four hit singles from "Mimi," the best-selling album of 2005. Carey also won Grammys for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and Best R&B Female Vocal Performance for "We Belong Together."
On the ascent of Carey's most recent single, "Don't Forget About Us," to the Number One position on the R&B chart, HITS Magazine noted: "...this makes 17 No 1's for Dupri as a producer, making him the most successful modern R&B producer." Dupri commented, "Johnta and I feel honored and grateful to be recognized along with our friend Mariah by the professionals of the music industry. But I must say that the greatest blessing has been to work with Mariah for so many years, and to know that she continues to touch the hearts of her fans with the songs we wrote together." "Mimi" is the sixth Carey album project that Dupri has co-produced.
Under Dupri's leadership, the Virgin Records Urban Music department has made a major chart surge in recent months, with such artists as Dem Franchize Boyz, Bubba Sparxxx, and Purple Ribbon All-Stars, as noted on page one of the New York Times Arts section this week. Dupri is currently in the studio supervising the completion of superstar Janet Jackson's upcoming Virgin album. "The success of Virgin Urban really comes from the love of R&B and hip-hop music," said Dupri. "Music means everything to us, and we all feel blessed to make new music in that tradition."
At last year's Grammy Awards, Usher's "Confessions," produced primarily by Dupri, won the 2004 Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. Dupri also co-wrote, produced and engineered "My Boo," Grammy winner for Best R&B Duo/Group vocal performance, by Usher and Alicia Keys.
As a solo recording artist, Dupri's first album, "Life in 1472," was nominated for Best Rap Album Grammy in 1998, and the track "Money Ain't a Thing," a collaboration with Jay-Z, was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1999, Dupri was co-producer of Grammy's R&B Album of the Year, TLC's massively successful "Fanmail." In 2001, Dupri drew two Grammy nominations for songs he produced and co-wrote: "Girlfriend," Best R&B Song nominee from Alicia Keys' landmark "Songs in A Minor" album, and "Where the Party At," by Jagged Edge featuring Nelly, nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
