Jermaine Dupri Joins Forces With Ashanti, Nelly, & Juicy J for New Sizzling Single 'This Lil' Game We Play'

GRAMMY Award-winning producer, hall of fame songwriter, and rapper Jermaine Dupri unleashes a brand new single entitled “This Lil' Game We Play” [feat. Nelly, Ashanti, & Juicy J] via So So Def Recordings/Mass Appeal. 

Hinging on a hypnotic sample of Subway & 702's classic 1994 track of the same name, “This Lil' Game We Play” unites three powerhouse voices while featuring production from Dupri. Right out the gate, sizzling hi-hats and synths mesmerize while Nelly and Ashanti sing the anthemic hook, “Girl, I want you to stay so we can play this little game we play.” The duo goes back and forth with a flurry of heartfelt bars, paving the way for Juicy J's incendiary verse. Adding to the emotionally charged vibe, he raps, “You the finest thing in the club, baby, all eyes on you.” 

“This Lil' Game We Play” arrives as the first release under So So Def's newly minted partnership with Create Music Group. The partnership brings the legendary label and all its recordings, publishing, as well as its historic back catalog to Create Music Group. 

Furthermore, Dupri will transition from CEO of So So Def to Chairman & Founder, as well as new Creative Director for Create Music Group. He has appointed Bryan Patrick Franklin as the new CEO and Joe Romulus, Esq as Head of Legal Business Affairs. As Creative Director, Dupri's plans include focusing on expanding the company's impact on the cross-section between music and culture. Regarding the new deal, Dupri commented, “I have been looking for a home for the entire So So Def brand so I can continue to do what I started.” 

Stay tuned for more news and announcements. Jermaine Dupri and So So Def Recordings are coming soon. 

ABOUT JERMAINE DUPRI:

Jermaine Dupri, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is one of the most successful producers in the music industry. He has established a prolific career as a hip-hop artist, award-winning producer, songwriter, author, DJ, and Chairman and Founder of So So Def, which he created in 1993.

Rather than impacting only one lane, Jermaine Dupri has changed the course of R&B, hip-hop, and pop throughout an illustrious career earmarked by some of the most recognizable hits of all-time. The GRAMMY Award-winning iconic songwriter, producer, rapper, artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has powered game-changing and chart-breaking smashes such as Mariah Carey's 6x-platinum “We Belong Together,” Usher's 3x-platinum “Nice & Slow,” Xscape's platinum “Just Kickin' It,” his own “Money Ain't A Thang” [feat. JAY-Z], and countless others.

“We Belong Together” not only toppled the Billboard Hot 100 for the year, but it also emerged as “the song of the decade” and “fifteenth most popular song of all-time,” according to Billboard. It took home “Best R&B Song” and “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” at the 2006 GRAMMY Awards. 

Additionally, Usher's “Confessions Part II” recently topped Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century coming in at number 1. At the helm of So So Def Recordings as Founder, he has built a catalog of classic albums, including Da Brat's - the first solo female rapper to go platinum - debut and historic album Funkdafied; Jagged Edge's double-platinum J.E. Heartbreak; Anthony Hamilton's platinum Comin' From Where I'm From; and more. Simultaneously, he has launched JD's Vegan as a mega-popular plant-based ice cream alternative available in major retailers such as Walmart.

Plus, he notably stands out as the second rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame following JAY-Z. Meanwhile, the GRAMMY Museum paid homage to JD and So So Def with a dedicated exhibit entitled Jermaine Dupri & So So Def, 25 Years Of Elevating Culture. He has also appeared on-screen in the Aretha Franklin movie Respect, Hip-Hop Family Christmas, and Step Up. Speaking to his presence, Variety attested, “What isn't recognized enough is his undeniable influence on the current cultural climate.” However, he never stops setting the pace for the entire game to follow.

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