Jermaine Dupri/Instagram
Published on: Sep 25, 2016, 10:36 AM
After 10 grueling weeks of practicing, preparation and flat-out perspiration, Season 2 of Jermaine Dupri and Queen Latifah’s popular Lifetime competition-based reality show, The Rap Game came to an end, with the lucky winner being awarded a recording contract to his longstanding So So Def imprint.
The Rap Game pits several young budding Hip Hop talents and measures their aptitude in various realms of expertise in areas such as songwriting, freestyling, dancing and personal style.
This season’s match-up included Lil Key, 15, of Baltimore, MD; Nia Kay, 14, of Chicago, IL; J.I. a.k.a. The Prince of New York, 14, of Brooklyn, NY; Mani, 15, of South Central L.A., CA; and Jayla Marie, 11, of Staten Island, NY.
In the end, there could only be one So So Def superstar and much to viewers’ surprise, it was Mani who walked away with the coveted chain. It was somewhat of a surprise pick, seeing that the young Los Angeles spitter never finished a full week in first place and often found himself in the middle of the pack as the season progressed on. But it was his swagged-out looks reminiscent of Bow Wow, charisma that garnered co-signs from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Mariah Carey, and his show-stealing last performance à la a final exam in college, that put him over the top of the heavily favored Lil Key to snag the crown.
An excited Mani took to his Instagram to address all his haters as he brandished his new piece of jewelry writing, “They told me I wasn’t gon get it, they told me I wasn’t gon get it” “LOOK AT ME NOW LOOK AT YOU” thanks to all my supporters and haterz it’s go time now,” followed with the hashtags, “#SOSODEF #TeamMani #Youalreadyknow.”
He joins The Rap Game Season 1 winner, 16-year-old Miss Mulatto of Atlanta as the new torchbearers for JD’s label.
Last season’s Rap Game finale saw a 38 percent increase in its normal viewership, as it stood out as the top-rated cable show in its Friday evening time slot. Around 1.6 million people tuned in for that particular finale and it’s a safe assumption that Friday’s numbers will be comparable as well.
Watch the final performance that put Mani in the winner’s circle down below.
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1993; 29 years ago |
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United States |
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music. So So Def has managed artists such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, TLC, and Usher.
Beginnings[edit]
So So Def was established in 1993 as a spin-off of Dupri's production company of the same moniker, through a joint venture with Sony and Columbia. Its first act was Xscape, whose debut album was released in the fall of the same year and went Platinum—as did their 2nd and 3rd albums, released in 1995 and 1998. In 1994, the label released the debut album of Da Brat, who became the 1st solo female emcee to be certified for Platinum album sales. In 1996, Kandi Burruss brought Jagged Edge to the attention of the label; their debut album, A Jagged Era, was released in 1997. So So Def later released the Triple Platinum debut album by Lil’ Bow Wow in 2000. Other acts on the label have included: Dem Franchise Boyz, Maestro Harrell, The Ghost Town DJs, INOJ, J-Kwon, Trina Broussard, 3LW, and Anthony Hamilton.
Distribution[edit]
In late 2002, So So Def's distribution deal with Columbia ended. The following year, Dupri moved So So Def to Arista. While many of So So Def's acts moved with the label to Arista, Bow Wow and Jagged Edge were forced to remain at Columbia, due to their contracts having been with that company primarily. In 2004, per the re-consolidation of labels caused by the merger of its former Sony parent and BMG, So So Def was shifted from Arista to Zomba.
In 2005, Dupri was appointed Executive Vice President of Urban Music at Virgin, causing So So Def to move again, this time over to Virgin and EMI—resulting in the loss of Bone Crusher and YoungBloodZ. So So Def, meanwhile, was able to retain J-Kwon and Anthony Hamilton, despite them still being signed to Zomba. In 2006, Dupri had a falling out with Virgin, resulting in him leaving his post at the company. Intermittent, he was appointed President of urban music at Universal's Island, resulting in So So Def once again making a move to UMG's The Island Def Jam.
In 2009, it was reported that Dupri had been terminated from his post at Island. Later in the same year, it was rumored that So So Def had moved back to Sony, where it reportedly operated under Zomba once more.[1] In 2010, Mississippi-based independent label Malaco Records distributed So So Def's release of the Why Did I Get Married Too? soundtrack.[2][3]
In 2014, So So Def partnered with Primary Wave for the release of Jagged Edge's album J.E. Heartbreak 2. In June 2016, So So Def partnered with Epic for current distribution.[4]
Discography[edit]
1993 | Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha | Xscape | RIAA: Platinum |
1994 | Funkdafied | Da Brat | RIAA: Platinum |
1995 | Off the Hook | Xscape | RIAA: Platinum |
1996 | Anuthatantrum | Da Brat | RIAA: Gold |
Young, Rich & Dangerous | Kris Kross | RIAA: Gold | |
1997 | A Jagged Era | Jagged Edge | RIAA: Gold |
1998 | Traces of My Lipstick | Xscape | RIAA: Platinum |
Life in 1472 | Jermaine Dupri | RIAA: Platinum | |
12 Soulful Nights of Christmas | Various artists | ||
1999 | The Movement | Harlem World | |
J.E. Heartbreak | Jagged Edge | RIAA: 2× Platinum | |
2000 | Unrestricted | Da Brat | RIAA: Platinum |
Beware of Dog | Lil' Bow Wow | RIAA: 2× Platinum | |
2001 | Jagged Little Thrill | Jagged Edge | RIAA: Platinum |
Instructions | Jermaine Dupri | ||
Doggy Bag | Lil' Bow Wow | RIAA: Platinum | |
2002 | So So Def Presents: Definition Of A Remix | Jermaine Dupri / Various | |
2003 | Drankin' Patnaz | YoungBloodZ | RIAA: Gold |
AttenCHUN! | BoneCrusher | ||
Comin' From Where I'm From | Anthony Hamilton | RIAA: Platinum | |
Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz | Da Brat | ||
Hard | Jagged Edge | RIAA: Gold | |
2004 | Hood Hop | J-Kwon | RIAA: Gold |
2005 | Ain't Nobody Worryin' | Anthony Hamilton | RIAA: Gold |
Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol. 1 | Jermaine Dupri | ||
2006 | On Top of Our Game | Dem Franchize Boyz | RIAA: Gold |
Point of No Return | 3LW | ||
So So Gangsta | Daz Dillinger | ||
2007 | Money Power and Techs | Hot Dollar | |
Baby Makin' Project | Jagged Edge | ||
2008 | Self-Made | Rocko | |
100 Laws Of Power 2.0 | Hot Dollar | ||
2014 | J.E. Heartbreak 2 | Jagged Edge | |
2018 | The Return | Da Brat | |
So So Def 25th Anniversary (1993-2018) | Jermaine Dupri / Various |
Former artists[edit]
- Kris Kross
- Trina Broussard
- Xscape
- Monica (Management only)
- Bow Wow
- Playa Poncho
- Fundisha
- Whodini
- Dem Franchize Boyz
- Harlem World
- Ghost Town DJ's
- Tigah
- The R.O.C.
- TLC (Management only)
- T. Waters
- YoungBloodZ
- Bone Crusher
- Anthony Hamilton
- Daz Dillinger
- 3LW
- Miss B
- Brooks Buford
- Rocko
- DJ Felli Fel
- Young Capone
- Hot Dollar
- Johntá Austin
- T. Waters
- Dondria
- 9th Ward
- Leah Labelle[5] (deceased)
References[edit]
- ^ "JD Moves So So Def To Sony". Rapbasement.com. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Janet Jackson "Nothing" (So So Def/Malaco Music)". Airplayresource.com. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "AddBoard - Sign In". Addboard.mediabase.com. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jermaine Dupri & So So Def Label Team with Epic Records & L.A. Reid". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "So So Def Recordings Complete Artist Roster".
External links[edit]
- Official site