[4][5] Raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music production at the age of nine.

Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade.

Dupri has since signed artists including Xscape, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Dem Franchize Boyz, YoungBloodZ, and Anthony Hamilton to the label.

Meanwhile, he worked with Mariah Carey, Usher, Monica, and Nelly to produce a total of 11 chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

[10][11] He began performing around the country, appearing with Herbie Hancock and Cameo before he opened the New York Fresh Festival, with Run-D.M.C., Whodini, and Grandmaster Flash.

[13] The group's first album, Totally Krossed Out, was released in 1992 and went multi-platinum due to the success of their singles "Jump" and "Warm It Up", both written and produced by Dupri.

Their debut album, Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, produced entirely by Dupri, went platinum with the support of the singles "Understanding", "Love on My Mind", "Tonight" and "Just Kickin' It", with the latter peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

MTV Raps, he met Da Brat through Kris Kross and signed her to his label So So Def Recordings, releasing her debut Funkdafied (1994) which went platinum.

That same year, he produced and co-wrote singles for MC Lyte ("Keep On, Keepin' On"), The Braxtons ("So Many Ways"), and Whodini ("Keep Running Back").

In 1998, Jermaine Dupri was involved in the release of Destiny's Child's eponymous debut album, producing and co-writing the track "With Me Part I".

The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month and half after release.

Also that year he met soon-to-be frequent collaborator and production partner Bryan-Michael Cox, as well as 11-year-old rapper, known then as Lil' Bow Wow and signed him to So So Def Recordings.

[16] In early 2005, Dupri reunited with Mariah Carey on her tenth studio album The Emancipation Of Mimi, which features the massive smash hit "We Belong Together".

That December, Dupri produced and co-wrote Nelly's single "Grillz", which struck atop the Billboard charts yet again.

The group also featured alongside Dupri on Monica's snap single, "Everytime tha Beat Drop" (U.S. #48) off her fifth album, The Makings of Me.

In 2007, Dupri produced singles for Paul Wall ("I'm Throwed"), Donell Jones ("Better Start Talking"), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony ("Lil' L.O.V.E.

In October 2007, he published his memoir, "Young, Rich and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul" (via Atria Books).

On 9 February 2024, Dupri released the single "This Lil' Game We Play", featuring Nelly, Ashanti and Juicy J.