JERMAINE DUPRI - DUPRI: 'I WAS FIRED OVER JEALOUSY'

DUPRI: 'I WAS FIRED OVER JEALOUSY'

Producer JERMAINE DUPRI has broken his silence over his shock departure from Island Records Urban Music, insisting he was fired from his role as president because others were envious of his success.
Dupri was appointed to the post in 2007, overseeing the entire urban music operation at the Island Def Jam Music Group division. He also produced tracks for several of its artists, including Mariah Carey and girlfriend Janet Jackson.
But he was ousted from the label last week (ends09Jan09), with Dupri's contract reportedly "terminated effective immediately".
A formal announcement has still yet to be made, but Dupri has aired his grievances with Essence magazine, claiming he felt creatively stifled because the label heads were not keen on putting out too many new projects.
He tells the publication, "It was a situation where it felt very stagnant to me. As a person who is used to putting out new records and continuing to do that, it just wasn't turning over as being that place to me where I should stick to it and see if it was going to turn around."
However, he alleges age was also a factor - at 36, he is years younger than the average label president - and he is adamant sales figures were not a factor in his dismissal.
He adds, "I'm dealing with a lot of jealousy and have been since I first came in the business. When you're younger, they (label bigwigs) don't want to listen to you because they know you are keener and people listen to the younger person in the office. In corporate America, this is something that I started feeling a lot. I'm keener as to what is going on in the streets, the Internet and all over the place...
"Mariah Carey sold more records in that entire Def Jam building and all of that was through my singles; so I’m looking like the golden boy. I only started thinking about it after I left."
And Dupri admits he is a little disgruntled at the way his exit has been handled.
He continues, "I haven’t spoken to L.A. (Reid, Def Jam chairman) in three months. I don’t know if it (the split)’s amicable (considering) that they claim they put me out. I feel like it’s not amicable. Don’t lie, be real about the situation."