Track Record: Behind Janet Jackson's Groove

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Jermaine Dupri

While not the first of Janet Jacksons’s lovers to have a say in her career, Jermaine Dupri has arguably had the biggest and most infamous impact. The man behind So So Def Records, a pioneer of Atlanta's '90s music scene and many of Mariah Carey’s biggest hits, Jermaine Dupri was not involved in Janet’s career for the first few years of their relationship. However, after the Super Bowl debacle and Damita Jo failing to live up to expectations, JD pitched in to help revive the career of his then-girlfriend.

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The first project produced by Dupri and his team was 20 Y.O., which marked the 20th anniversary of Janet’s groundbreaking and career defining album, Control. Unfortunately, the album failed to make even a fraction of the impact of its inspiration. Many blame Dupri for mismanaging the project, with another producer, Kwame, stating that before Dupri put his hands on the album, it was a masterpiece. Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis admitted they occasionally bumped heads on the project, but were fans of each and wanted the best for Janet.

For the next project, Discipline, Dupri split production duties with Rodney Jerkins. While the sound was credited as being much improved, with songs such as “Rock With U” receiving critical if not commercial acclaim, the album still failed to find a following. The couple broke up the following year.

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