Jermaine Dupri just earned a major victory—not only for himself, but the entire hip-hop community.
According to Billboard, the pioneering music mogul will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year along with acts like John Mellencamp, Kool & the Gang, Alan Jackson, and Bill Anderson. Dupri will become only the second rapper in history to receive the honor, following in the footsteps of his friend and previous collaborator Jay Z.
Dupri shared the news on social media Tuesday. And let’s just say he was pretty hyped.
“Look at god, look at god, look at god,” he shouts in the video. “Yo, I was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame! I don’t know what else to say, but aaaaahhhh!”
Dupri has made an undeniable mark on hip-hop as well as the overall music industry. In addition to releasing his own studio albums and launching his own label, the Atlanta-raised artist also penned a number of hits for big-name acts like Mariah Carey, Usher, Alicia Keys, Monica, and more.
In a recent interview with the Breakfast Club, Dupri spoke about his place in music and the ways he influenced Atlanta’s music scene. When asked if he or Outkast had the bigger impact on the city’s culture, Dupri insisted it was him—at least, in some regards.
“Depending on what type of hip-hop you talking about, we come from two different places in hip-hop,” he said at the 34:30 minute mark. “As far as culture, me, I brought people to Atlanta that had never seen Atlanta. I showed everybody in the world Magic City—I was the first person to start throwing money in the club. I had to pay for all the magazines to come to Atlanta…no one was paying attention to what’s going on. As far as culture goes and having parties, bringing Puff, bringing Envy and Clue to Atlanta, that was all me.”
The Songwriters Hall of Fame’s 49th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 14.
