JERMAINE DUPRI REVAMPING VIRGIN RECORDS ROSTER

Jermaine Dupri has been on hot streak for several years. He produced the bulk of Usher’s 2004 mega album Confessions and this year he was the primary architect behind Mariah Carey’s Emancipation Of Mimi. Although he’s already proven as an executive because of his success with his So So Def imprint, Dupri finds himself at a crossroads again as he’s got a whole new roster of artists at Virgin Records to develop. He was named president of Virgin Records urban music division earlier this year.

Such a huge task would be daunting to some but Dupri is excited about the challenge. He said,

“I mean you know on the Virgin side, just a lot of new artists constantly. We got new artists. It’s a whole new roster I brought over there and I’m signing. Constantly trying to find talent at the same time. We got the Janet Jackson album that’s getting ready to come so I’m really excited about that.”

Dupri has already struck gold. The first group he signed to Virgin Records, Dem Franchize Boyz, had the Number One rap song in the country last month, “Oh I Think They Like Me.”