Jermaine Dupri on the key to a hit record, Quincy Jones and his 'tribute of all tributes'

USA Today

06-06-2025

Jermaine Dupri on the key to a hit record, Quincy Jones and his 'tribute of all tributes'
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Jermaine Dupri to pay tribute to music titan Quincy Jones at ESSENCE
Rapper Jermaine Dupri gives a sneak peak into his Quincy Jones tribute set list that features Xscape, MC Lyte and many more.
When the illustrious music titan Quincy Jones passed away at the age of 91 last November, Jermaine Dupri acknowledged him as someone who gave him "much more confidence about music and life."
The two hit it off when they first met. "He called me his little brother, and I was always at his house," in Los Angeles, Dupri recalled. They chatted over homemade hamburgers, and Jones inspired him in his journey to become vegan.
"A lot of the conversations we had, they'll stick with me for the rest of my life."
For the esteemed producer, rapper, and So So Def founder, Jones's widely acclaimed career − which ranged from being a part of notable films, working on classic records with legends and his partnership with the King of Pop Michael Jackson − was his blueprint: "I patterned myself after him in my own way," he said.
'Tribute of all tributes'
This July, Dupri is poised to honor Jones' influence and legendary catalog at this year's Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans. He intends to put his all on the stage.
"This is the Blackest festival that we have in America, and I feel like Quincy is the greatest Black producer of American Black music," Dupri told USA TODAY. "I wanted something that translated to the generation of people that I feel like my music is made for and a younger audience."
The panoramic performance will be an educational "tribute of all tributes," showing "the importance of Quincy and who he was to me and who I am as a producer standing across from him," he added.
Essence Fest: Performers announced for 2025: Dates, tickets, hosts, what to know
What to expect during Dupri's 'ESSENCE Flowers' tribute
Included in Dupri's setlist is the late 90s gold-certified record "Keep On, Keepin' On" with MC Lyte and Xscape. It sampled Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl," which was co-produced by Jones. The song was the perfect blend to create a radio smash for the rap pioneer and chart-topping girl group he discovered.
"If you hear MC Lyte's version, you might not realize that it's 'Liberian Girl,'" Dupri stated. "That's what I'm going to do in my set; I'm going to make you realize that you might not even realize how much Quincy Jones you have listened to."
Other additions to the tribute are the iconic R&B trio SWV, who added their twist to Jones' production on Jackson's "Human Nature" for their beloved debut hit "Right Here." Rap powerhouses The Pharcyde and Mobb Deep's contribution to the performance would underscore how Jones' work was heavily sampled in hip-hop culture.
Singer Al B. Sure!, a feature on Jones' 1989 "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)," and other vocalists like Tyrese and Robin Thicke, who were a part of the modern, up-tempo version with Dupri's magic touch decades later, will also take the stage.
The 2010 remake came at a time when "Quincy gave young producers the opportunity to take one of his songs and remix it," Dupri stated. It was included on Jones' final album, "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra," made up of contemporary renditions of his classic hits from acts spanning multiple genres. Thicke also appeared in a reimagining of Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" on the same project.
Great modern artists do their homework, Dupri says
Dupri is a force in his own right and has a prowess for creating timeless music, like Jones. He has worked with the greats, from Usher to Ludacris to Mariah Carey.
In recent years, the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee has collaborated with rising stars like Dvsn on 2022's "If I Get Caught." Dupri announced that he had signed the Canadian R&B duo to his record label this week.
Dupri also worked with singer Ari Lennox, co-producing one of her latest songs, "Soft Girl Era." He also caught a massive hit with Muni Long's ballad "Made For Me," which became a TikTok sensation and secured the vocalist a Grammy Award for the "Live On BET" version. He said their sole studio session was a breeze because Long was knowledgeable.
"It's really about going in the studio with talented people that listen and pay attention to the elements that have created songs that are bigger than the songs that they make," Dupri said.
Some of those elements to make a hit of that caliber that are missing from today's musical climate are a well-versed producer and a studied artist, according to Dupri. He recently initiated discourse online when he argued that the youth in the current state of R&B lack the traditional church influence.
Dupri further clarified his point: "You can go in your room and make a song and get on the charts. That's amazing, but the simplicity of it at some point doesn't live up to the extraordinary space that I know I grew up listening to. People don't understand how important having these pieces in the studio with you are."
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [e-mail].