got this from another board:


Jermaine Dupri Says Janet Will Switch Labels, Be On 'Rush Hour 3' LP
Dupri, head of urban music at Island Def Jam, says his girlfriend is in talks to join the label.

By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Yasmine Richard

In February, Island Def Jam Chairman L.A. Reid brought Jermaine Dupri over to Island to be president of urban music, and now it looks as if JD's girlfriend, Janet Jackson, is not too far behind. The longtime Virgin Records artist has been in talks to switch label homes.

"Definitely Janet will end up at Island," Dupri told MTV News recently. "That's without a doubt. L.A. always wanted to sign her regardless [of whether] I was there or not. I don't know where that deal is -- I left that in the hands of L.A. and Janet's people -- but more than likely, he'll get what he wants."

Whether or not the deal is completed, Jackson will put out a song this summer. Dupri just finished a deal for his company to release the "Rush Hour 3" soundtrack (the first two soundtracks were released on Island during its old regime).

"Janet will have one of the first singles off the album," he said. "Bow Wow will be on the soundtrack. A couple usual suspects should pop up on the soundtrack, but I want it to be something unique [to] incorporate the new [Island Def Jam] family I'm with. I'mma see what Luda's doing, what Jay is doing. I'mma see if I can get some records from people."

Dupri's position at Island follows a less-than-eventful run as president of urban music at Virgin. He blames a lack of corporate support for his departure.

"With me being the president, I bring back the urban side of Island so that Island and Def Jam can be two separate record companies," he explained. "Jay-Z's at Def Jam, I'm at Island. L.A. sits in the middle and makes sure we do what we supposed to do as well as pump us up with ideas. I'm a musician, and I'm 100 percent into making music. I'm behind the music, and I like being around people that's behind the music. Virgin Records is not behind the music. They weren't when I was there, and I still don't think they are behind the music. If you're gonna be in the music business, you should be around people who are about the music."

A spokesperson for Virgin didn't respond to requests for comment by press time about Jackson's status with the label or Dupri's departure.

Other than the "Rush Hour" soundtrack, Dupri already has a full plate of releases coming out of his company. He's producing an album of ballads for Jagged Edge and Mariah Carey is in the studio and is expected to put out an LP sometime this year, as is Dupri's new MC, Hot Dollar.

Source: "Jermaine Dupri Says Janet Will Switch Labels, Be On 'Rush Hour 3' LP." MTV.com. 9 May, 2007.
6:49 AM ET | Comments (31)

Whatever Janet does, she needs to do it away from her trollish looking boyfriend. If she goes to Island Def Jam, then the Janet I knew as a kid will be gone for good. They will keep her where she's been with 20 Y.O. and she needs to leave the R & B world ASAP. She needs to get back to her Dance/Pop roots but they will be nowhere in sight if Jermaine Dupri has his way.

It doesn't matter what label she's at. If she puts out another DamitaJo or 20 Y.O. and keeps pushing the sex thing in interviews and her image, then it's going to be as big a failure as those were.

Cool. I think signing with Def Jam is a good decison and although Janet's last two albums didn't do that well compared to her past work, I have a feeling her next album will be big.
[Edited 5/9/07 17:19pm]

RZR said:

That's true indeed.

How sad that the woman who once declared she was in "Control" has to rely so much on a man.

...and an annoying one at that.

the thing is Janet needs to lose the production, not the label. The label isnt the issue, her music is, theres only so far you can go when pushing SEX after awhile it gets OLD and boring, and the people behind her have no idea what is Sexy. Janet and JD alientated Janets core fan base which was always dance/pop, he dragged her into this RB groove that is GONE! Stop trying to make Janet into Ciara, shes 40 years old already, deal with it, go back to basics do a fun/pop/dance album and get your shit together, lose JD, he has no clue, IM tired of hearing he was the genius behind Mariahs comeback, he got Lucky, how come no one talks about the shit he did with the LL record? JD got lucky with Mariah, the Its Like that single was not a success, people wanted a Mariah ballad and they got it with We Belong Together, but it didnt take a genius to do that, Mariah can get ballads as easy as George Michael drives into a wall.

I think Janet needs to either go back to her roots 100% with the dance/pop thing, or make a full on dance album. That'd be interesting. Janet's always been club friendly.

At this point, there's no use in having her follow what's going on in popular music. She just needs to follow her roots, pure as simple. Maybe then she'll win the public back again

Janet can't seem to keep her men out of her business. Some people learn the hard way.

newskin69 said:

Janet's roots are in R&B, not pop.

Cinnamon234 said:

Thank you I am like when the heck has Janet been dance/ pop that's madonna. Janet has always mainly been Rnb and if you look in the stores that's what where you'll find her music the only really poppish cd Janet did was all for you and I wheather not repeat that cause Damita Jo and 20 Yo are miles better.
plus Pop music is extremely ageist so she would like get no airplay. Just stick to what she's doing
[Edited 5/9/07 19:11pm]

Cinnamon234 said:

true but she was making better music when she was embracing Pop vs Shit Hop

Cinnamon234 said:

a VERY pop version of r&b.

shortstuff45220 said:

in America maybe.

Janet hasn't had a hit in europe in while. Both Kylie and her name have, why? Pop

shortstuff45220 said:

you and i both know that she's in the r&b section at the record store only because she's black. that's just the way record store classifications work.

ehuffnsd said:

yeah but there wasn't anything hip-hop about 20 Y0 unless you count show me. I think allot of people are Just saying that because of Jd and I wouldn't even consider him a hip hop producer

RZR said:

maybe but go listen to the Velevet Rope again and tell me that's Pop

shortstuff45220 said:

20YO was better than Damita Jo but it was still subpar for her.

shortstuff45220 said:

Velvet Rope
My Need
Together Again
Empty
What About
Every Time
Tonight's The Night
Special


that's over half that are pop vs. r&b.

shortstuff45220 said:

VR covered alot of genre's.

And once again Pop is short for Popular. So anything that is popular is pop and in that regards Janet since Control to the Velvet Rope was pop with influences of various genres.

RZR said:

the only pop song on there is together again the rest I would say are very Rnb influnced but not pop

shortstuff45220 said:

then you don't know what you're talking about. Every Time? r&b? Empty? Special? okay.

ehuffnsd said:

that's true but sometimes it has a sound of it's own for example I wouldn't say the all for you cd is rnb,country are dance but the genere is very much pop.

RZR said:

yeah they would be kinda of pop but my need, what about , Tonight's the nightand velevet Rope I wouldn't call pop thou

shortstuff45220 said:

right, but this is what pop is. a smoothed out version of other incorporated genres. all of Janet's music is pop, as opposed to straight up r&b.

RZR said:

agreed.for example hip hop was popular at the momment so you could say that;s what;s pop music now. and your right her music hasn't been stright rnb like Mary J Blidge, Jill scott. but still what do call All For You.

ehuffnsd said:

But Pop Radio hasn't embraced Janet's music since All For You and that was back in 2001. R&B stations have supported her more than Pop radio has so maybe w/the last album Janet felt like that was the audience she had to target.

shortstuff45220 said:

"What About" is not R&B either.

Janet is pop. She incorporates a lot of different genres in her music, but the overall style is pop.

RZR said:

Most of the songs on that list are R&B