Jermaine Dupri is a quote monster. Never one to mince words, the veteran music producer and label mogul has had his ups and downs during his 20-year career. But the brazen Dupri, who has fostered the careers of Kriss Kross, Xscape and Da Brat and accumulated studio time with such superstar acts as Jay-Z, Usher and Mariah Carey, is a survivor. With his longtime imprint So So Def now independent and a buzz-heavy protégé Dondria making noise, we caught up with the man known as JD to discuss his thoughts on VIBE’s Greatest Hip Hop Producer of All-Time; his beef with Usher; his ex-girlfriend Janet Jackson; why he deserves more praise than the Neptunes and his outspoken views on major labels. This is Jermaine Dupri, unfiltered.

VIBE: How surprised were you when you beat out Irv Gotti in VIBE’s Greatest Hip Hop Producers of All-Time?
Jermaine Dupri: In the beginning, I didn’t pay much attention to it. I go into all this stuff thinking that niggas don’t fuck with me [laughs]. So I went into the contest like, “Ain’t nobody paying no attention to me.” You have some people who say that I helped contribute to Jay-Z’s national success when I produced “Money Ain’t A Thing.” But I have been fortunate enough to make [history-making] records such as the Da Brat being the first solo female rapper to go platinum as well being the first person Jay-Z actually made a record with from the South. People in the South say it was the beginning of them actually knowing who Jay-Z was. It’s not like I just make beats. I make movements. I can even go back to Kriss Kross as being the first kid hip-hop group that we will remember. And 10 years later, I did it again with Bow Wow. Then I ushered in the snap music era with the Dem Franchise Boyz. Things changed when you heard these records.