Latest news with #SoSoDef
NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
The Atlanta club where pleasure and hip-hop dealmaking collide
In the early 1980s, Michael Barney and his wife left his hometown of Camden, N.J., and relocated in Atlanta, where he started working in telecommunications and earned the nickname 'Mr. Magic' from colleagues. One night out with friends at a popular strip club, he got the inspiration for what would become a cultural hotspot in the heart of the city. Soon enough, Barney signed the lease for a defunct print shop, repurposed the building and named it 'Magic City.' The club opened in 1985 with just one dancer. After 40 years of deals, networking and hip-hop history at the club, Magic City is the subject of a five-part docuseries executive-produced by producer and rap mogul Jermaine Dupri. 'Magic City: An American Fantasy' premiered Friday on STARZ, showcasing the outsized national impact of the Atlanta strip club and others like it on hip-hop culture and the industry. 'We would fly back home to go to Magic City from out of town,' Dupri told NBC News. 'It's like going to Orlando and not going to Disney World — you have to go.' To the So So Def producer, there's more to Mr. Magic's establishment than the women. 'You could be standing by the biggest thief in Atlanta, the biggest drug dealer in Atlanta, the biggest rapper in Atlanta, the biggest basketball player in the world, a movie star, a politician, and they're all in the same area — treated the same, having the same conversations and you wouldn't know the difference, because the club doesn't cater to just one person,' Dupri said. Strip, as the club is known among regulars, has provided a gauge for hip-hop and R&B hitmaking. 'The connection is very authentic,' Dupri said. 'Hearing your song play in a club is like hearing your song on the radio. You feel like you actually made it.' In some cases, the aspiration for hip-hop fame comes from the people onstage. Bronx-native Nya Lee used the money she made dancing to fund her rap career. 'In the earlier years, I invested in myself,' she said to NBC News. 'A lot of people didn't think that being a stripper and a rapper could work.' But it did, and her story was compelling enough to land her a spot on VH1's popular show, 'Love and Hip-Hop: New York.' Not long after, another dancer was introduced to the world through the series: Cardi B, who has since become a global force in entertainment. Stripping can have a dark side. Outside of Magic City, some dancers have unionized to fight for better work standards, fairer pay and protection from sexual harassment or abuse. Clubs are, after all, an environment in which men are paying for access to women's bodies, whether it's making full contact or at a distance. And while some perform with the goal of escaping the club and improving their lives, others escape to the club. That was the case for a Memphis, Tennessee, native with two years of undergraduate college credits and a boyfriend who was facing federal charges. Rapper and TV personality Jessica Dime, who is featured in the docuseries, went to the sprawling King of Diamonds in Miami after two friends advised her to leave Memphis. 'It was so much going on in the streets at the time,' Dime said to NBC News. 'When I left, it was the best decision I could have made. Dancing was something that saved me. I would have been in jail or probably dead if I wouldn't have went to Miami.' Within a few years of performing, she got the attention of Flo Rida and signed to his IMG record label as a rapper. 'What they were giving me to sign, I would have made more in one night at King of Diamonds,' Dime said. She said she knew that if she signed the contract, 'God is going to make sure I stay out of here.' But the people who work in the clubs don't need to be aspiring rappers to still make an impact on music. Last year, Muni Long's track 'Made for Me' became a hit at Magic City, which Dupri said helped him gauge how well the song would do more broadly, especially since traditional R&B is hard to place in clubs. 'The dancers were singing the song,' Dupri recalled, and so were the patrons. Rapper Rick Ross' debut single, 'Hustlin,' about the everyday grind in any capacity, was a major success in strip clubs across the country. 'They was playing my record without my requesting it, and I said, 'This is different.' I believe the record was speaking for everybody that was in the club,' Ross said to NBC News. 'You talking to the parking man, you talking to the dancers, you talking to the DJs.' In 2005, dancers at Magic City introduced South Carolina rapper Young Jeezy's music to DJ Nando, who was the club's resident DJ at the time. With the backing of BMF (Black Mafia Family) and Big Meech, author Joe Cosscarelli says in the docuseries that Jeezy became 'this larger than life, King Pin figure.' Jeezy's album 'Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101' was the go-to record throughout Magic City dancer Gigi Maguire's career. During her time at Magic City as a headlining dancer, Maguire became friends with some of the rappers that would frequent the club. She had been testing different stage names when rapper Lil' Wayne gave her a hand as she sat in on a writing session on his tour bus in Atlanta. 'Wayne was a close friend of mine,' she said. The Young Money emcee was testing lyrics and happened to say, 'Weezy Maguire, show me the money.' Maguire fired back, ''Gigi Maguire, show me the money,' and he said, 'Yoo! That's fire. You should keep that.' Literally, it stuck.' Maguire also took her roommate Trey Songz's music to Magic City during her featured spots on Mondays. 'We still are, to this day, like family,' she said. 'He's literally like my little brother.' This docuseries will be part of STARZ's roster of projects on hip-hop culture. The network's hit drama series, 'P-Valley,' is set at a fictional Southern club and includes two cast members from Magic City's Snack Pack trio of pole dancers, which includes Maguire. When the retired dancer got a call for a guest appearance for a 'P-Valley' episode on featuring icons of strip, there was controversy over who those legends would be. 'They wanted Cardi B, Blac Chyna and Amber Rose. I used to work with Amber and Chyna and am friends with them. I love Cardi B down. But those are not women that the dance community goes to, to say, 'Hey, I aspire for my dance career to be this,'' Maguire said. To the women who admire Maguire and the stars she mentioned, their accomplishments and influence in the culture and hip-hop extends beyond strip and has allowed them to leverage their popularity into business ventures that wouldn't have necessarily been available a decade or so ago. Nya Lee, 32, was 17 when she won a stripping contest two times, using a fake ID at Sin City in the Bronx. The now-DJ has collaborated with Fabolous, Jadakiss and Ultimate Rap League battle rap legend T-Rex on her projects. Her mixtapes include features with Kash Doll who also started as a Detroit-based stripper. 'Girls seeing me knock down doors made them feel like they could do it too,' Nya Lee said.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jermaine Dupri honoring Quincy Jones at Essence Festival: See list of performers
Jermaine Dupri is gearing up to take over the Essence Festival of Culture stage to honor his late friend, mentor and music icon Quincy Jones in New Orleans this weekend. "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 previously told USA TODAY. The So So Def founder's "Essence Flowers" tribute is scheduled for Sunday, July 6, at the Caesars Superdome and will feature R&B and hip hop powerhouses. Here's what we know about Jermaine Dupri's upcoming set at Essence Fest: Jermaine Dupri: On the key to a hit record, Quincy Jones and his 'tribute of all tributes' List of performers Dupri's tribute will include performances from musical acts who sampled Quincy Jones' hit songs. For instance, MC Lyte's and Xscape's 90s hit record, "Keep On, Keepin' On", sampled Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl," which was co-produced by Jones. "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," he said. How to get tickets to Essence Festival Essence Festival of Culture will be held from July 4 to July 6 in New Orleans. Tickets for the concerts are available on Ticketmaster. The three-day bundle is currently sold out, but single-day tickets are still available. For July 6, the night Jermaine Dupri is performing, tickets are as low as $82. 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," Dupri said. Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
dvsn Signs With Jermaine Dupri And So So Def For Multi-Album Deal
It's been almost three years since dvsn's last album, Working On My Karma. However, fans finally have an explanation behind the duo's delayed new music. Vocalist Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85 revealed on Twitter/X on Monday (June 2) that they've found a new home with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings under its new worldwide distribution partnership with HYBE AMERICA. 'After working with the group on their last album, going to their shows, seeing how much their fans love them, and then when I heard they had just become free agents, I had to sign them and make dvsn my first signing at So So Def/HYBE,' Dupri said in a statement. The group replied, '4 Everyone that's been wondering what's been going on and where's the new music… It's otw.' Under dvsn's new deal, HYBE AMERICA will manage worldwide distribution while So So Def oversees all creative direction and releases. They were previously signed to Drake's OVO Sound in partnership with Warner Records. Under OVO, the R&B duo released four studio albums: SEPT 5TH (2016), Morning After (2017), A Muse In Her Feelings (2020), and the aforementioned Working On My Karma (2022). 2021's Amusing Her Feelings was the deluxe installment to their 2020 LP and they also released a joint EP with Ty Dolla $ign that year titled Cheers to the Best Memories. Dupri co-produced dvsn's 'polarizingly honest' single, 'If I Get Caught,' with Bryan-Michael Cox and Nineteen85. Of their last album and what it represents for them overall, Daley told VIBE exclusively, 'We are a group that tries to make sure we're making moments, but also just tries to keep progressing the conversation of R&B. It's the ideology of dvsn that's still here, which is always being cool with being separate from the pack, being unapologetically on your own wave, in your own vibe. This is us trying to help reset the systems, refresh the palette, bring some more traditional R&B to the forefront as far as the sound, but then also still progress it with the writing and the topics and being very real about where we are today in the relationship in society and the human experience.' dvsn's new single is set to drop this summer. More from Jermaine Dupri Questions Dawn Robinson Having An Assistant While Living In Her Car Nelly Picks Winner In Hypothetical Diddy-Jermaine Dupri Verzuz Nelly Announces 2025 'Where The Party At' Tour With Ja Rule, Eve, St. Lunatics, And More
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jermaine Dupri on the key to a hit record, Quincy Jones and his 'tribute of all tributes'
Jermaine Dupri on the key to a hit record, Quincy Jones and his 'tribute of all tributes' Show Caption Hide Caption 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 tardrey@
