JERMAINE DUPRI KEEPING BUSY

Jermaine Dupri has been keeping busy producing non-stop hits for the likes of Mariah Carey, Usher, and most recently Dem Franchize Boyz. With so much success, what next for this artist/producer? “I’m kind of off the market and in producer mode, I’m just in one studio to the next trying to mold artists,” Dupri told MTV.

One artist that Dupri plans to work with is girlfriend Janet Jackson. Her upcoming album, slated to drop later this year and will feature production by Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Having dropped her last album two years ago, Dupri hopes to produce a major single featuring a duet between Jackson and Mariah Carey. “The hardest part is figuring out a song that fits both of them, because you have two different styles of artists,” said Dupri. “When you’re dealing with divas you don’t want to overshadow either one.”

Dupri is also working with rappers LL Cool J, Ludacris, Da Brat, Bow Wow, and Dem Franchize Boyz, whose album drops on February 7. Dupri is also finishing up Monica’s latest album “Street Butterfly.”

Music isn’t the only thing on Dupri’s plate. He is co-author of his biography, “Young, Rich and Dangerous: My Life in Music.” He said, “I wanted to put a book out because I feel like I’m one of the leaders in the industry right now, and I think kids have been missing a person to follow.”