Key Takeaways
- Jermaine Dupri shared texts praising Bruno Mars’ recent show, prompting Mars to joke, “should’ve signed me.”
- Dupri agreed—“I definitely should’ve signed you”—and said the running joke began about four years ago at a Las Vegas dinner with Usher and Anderson .Paak.
- The missed opportunity joins Ludacris among So So Def’s notable near-signings, though fans debated whether Mars would have become the same superstar under the label.
Jermaine Dupri is taking another round of ribbing over the superstar he passed on, and this time he handed over the evidence himself.
The producer reached out to Bruno Mars after catching his recent show, telling him the performance was "AMAZING!!!!!!" and following it with "F*CKING AMAZING !!!!!" Mars had a familiar answer ready.
"should've signed me," Mars wrote back, before adding, "appreciate you my brother."
Dupri did not argue the point. "I definitely should've signed you," he replied, then posted the Instagram exchange for everyone else to see.
The joke carries weight because of who is telling it. Dupri built So So Def Recordings into an Atlanta hip-hop and R&B force, launching Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Bow Wow and Jagged Edge.
His production credits run deeper still, from Usher's "Confessions" run to Mariah Carey singles including "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off." Mars, meanwhile, became a stadium-level pop star without him.
Dupri traces the running gag back roughly four years, to a dinner in Las Vegas with Usher, Anderson .Paak and Mars. That night, Mars first reminded him he'd had the chance and let it pass.
Mars is not the only name on that list. Ludacris came close to signing with So So Def before landing elsewhere, another near-miss in the label's history.
Dupri has since posted video of Mars pushing the bit further, telling him to "let them know" about the one he passed on.
