Congratulations to Jermaine Durpi, who has officially made history as the second rapper to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. After Jay-Z was inducted last year, the rapper, producer and mogul has been announced as part of the 2018 class, along with John Mellencamp, Alan Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Allee Willis, Bill Anderson, and Steve Dorff. Dupri is widely known for his work with record label So-So Def, which featured artists like Da Brat and Bow Wow, and for writing songs with Usher, Mariah Carey, and more. It's a big milestone for JD, who has quietly been putting in work for decades now.
For some context, some of his songwriting credits include co-writing Usher's "Burn," "Confessions Part II," and "My Boo"; in fact, plenty of Usher's most memorable work was done alongside Dupri. He also helped pen Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," Alicia Keys' "Girlfriend," and of course, his own iconic banger "Welcome To Atlanta." JD celebrated the news with a short video, in which he could barely contain his own excitement. "I can't fucking believe this!" writes JD, before literally screaming out in unbridled joy.
Songwriters Hall Of Fame President and CEO Linda Moran issued a joint statement with co-chairs Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, celebrating the recent inductees. "“The 2018 roster of Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees is a prodigious representation of creators of cross-genre hits, certain to resonate with everyone. Each year, the slate of songwriters we induct is more diverse and illustrative of the history and contributions that we strive to acknowledge and honor.” Once again, congrats JD!