Since the early 90s music Pioneer, Jermaine Dupri has been passionate about discovering young talent. He has signed a plethora of young artists such as Kris Kross, Da Brat, Bow Wow, and Xscape to name a few. In 2016, his former Tv show The Rap Game aired. The show's mission was to find young talent to sign to his So So Def label. The show is responsible for bringing Latto to the public eye. Recently, Jermaine Dupri has begun to question the lack of coverage of his latest young artist, Young Dylan.
In an interview with HipHopDX done at the Lovers & Friends festival on Saturday, Jermaine took note of how his artist, Young Dylan, had not been receiving adequate media coverage. “I’m the young man game giver. But everybody keeps saying it’s a young man’s game. So if it’s a young man’s game then why hasn’t — you know, if it is and all these different sites claim – like AllHipHop, they claim it’s all Hip Hop. But they ain’t posted a Dylan record. The Source is supposed to be the source of Hip Hop. They ain’t talked about the Dylan project," he said in curiosity.
Jermaine Dupri's Interview
Moreover, Young Dylan has gained a young fanbase. Dylan was a contestant in America's Got Talent at the age of 10. The now 14-year-old rapper is the star of the Nickelodeon show Young Dylan. The show is written by film director, Tyler Perry. The child-friendly show is based on Young Dylan being an aspiring rapper while maintaining a strong family-focused aspect. Its first episode aired in 2020 and was renewed on Nickelodeon for a fourth season. In the interview, Jermaine also touched on if there is still a focus on young talent in Hip-Hop. “But at the same time, it’s a young artist trying to rap in the rap game and these outlets claim they cover all Hip Hop; so I’m like, ‘Is rappers that start at 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years old – is that not considered real rap in the rap world?’ That’s just my question," He said.
Furthermore, Jermaine has remained consistent in trying to put the spotlight on younger artists. His work as the founder of So So Def is an extensive resume of expertise within itself. Next up, Jermaine is set to be participating in a Verzuz match vs Diddy in September.