Jermaine Dupri is speaking out about what he sees as a major gap in today’s music scene. The legendary producer says teenagers have been left without music made specifically for them.
During a recent sit down on the Joe Budden Podcast, Dupri reflected on how the industry no longer nurtures young talent the way it once did. “When have you seen a person like me grab an artist like Bow and take the artist for two years and try to get them to become who he became, right?” Dupri asked.
He pointed to his own 14 year old daughter as proof of the problem. “If somebody did that right now and they gave little Black girls ’cause I got a 14-year-old daughter that basically has nobody to listen to,” he explained. “She’s out here listening to sht that she ain’t supposed to be listening to on TikTok, right? She’s dancing to sht she ain’t supposed to be dancing to on TikTok.”
Dupri believes it is up to artists and executives to take that younger audience seriously. “It’s our responsibility to deliver artists for this group of people, but ain’t nobody doing it,” he said. “I can’t do everything, but I’m just saying it’s our responsibility to even pay attention to them. That audience from 12 to 16, n*as don’t give a fk about them.”
Joe Budden agreed, adding that there is clearly a “void” and mentioned how his 11 year old sister is a big fan of Tyler, The Creator, even though there is little else tailored for her age group.
Dupri responded by pointing out how the industry has moved away from making music that speaks to kids and teens directly. “Nobody’s trying to give them New Edition. Nobody’s trying to give them Bow. Nobody’s trying to give them Kris Kross,” he said. “They don’t care.”