Ya Heard: Dupri another to leave Def Jam

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." -- Nelson Mandela (1918 --

Jermaine Dupri recently confirmed rumors he is no longer president of Island Def Jam's Urban Music department. In an interview with Essence magazine, Dupri explained his reasons for leaving the company and even took a shot at Island Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid.

Reports suggest Dupri was disappointed with Janet Jackson's latest lackluster album sales. He'd worked double duty as executive producer and Jackson's boyfriend on "Discipline." An anonymous source told the New York Post "[Dupri] still col-lected a paycheck, but didn't bother to do anything that he was supposed to do, like find artists, release records, or actually show up. Executives tried to talk to him, but he just lost heart."

Dupri refuted this in Essence: "They are not going to tell the truth and say 'He just stopped dealing with us on a daily basis.' If you don't put out my records, that's all I have as a person. I'm a record person, so if I give you a record, and you don't put it out, then basically you're showing me that it's really no busi-ness."

Dupri also said he felt L.A. Reid harbord feelings of jealousy.

"I'm dealing with a lot of jealously and have been since I first came in the busi-ness," says Dupri. "When you're younger, they don't want to listen to you because they know you are keener and people listen to the younger person in the office. In corporate America, this is something that I started feeling a lot. I'm keener as to what is going on in the streets, the Internet and all over the place. In a room full of people, I'll have more answers than anyone else because I'm out there and know what's going on, so people start paying attention to what you're doing."

When Essence asked if Dupri would describe his departure as amicable, Dupri answered, "I don't know. I saw a side of [Reid] that I had never saw before, and that to me was a jealous side."

With Jay-Z's resignation as Def Jam president little more than a year ago, his replacement Shakir Stewart committing suicide and now this, there seems to be more than meets the eye at Island Def Jam. Stay tuned…

JONES STRIKES AGAIN

As if Jim Jones and his borrowed career couldn't get any lower, the Dip Set member recently used media outlets to send a message to his one-time best friend Cam'ron. On the recently released "Three Amigos" DVD, Jones states, "Amongst anything, peoples are just waiting for the get-back. Besides the friendship, the business at this point is worth more than anything because we both have families and the money can be worth more than any friendship. If we can put our equals aside and settle our difference and make some good business then, that's worth if for me."

Now who would want to do business with an individual like this? Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and the entire Dip Set movement from a few years ago rode in on Cam'ron's solo suc-cess. It seems Jimmy and Juelz developed a short memory since establishing their own solo careers. Over the last couple years, Cam'ron has distanced himself from his former part-ners and even from the hip-hop spotlight.

I'm not sure if these latest comments were Jimmy's way of acknowledging his career's end, but he should at least show a little class.

I have a good feeling Cam'ron may be in the process of a tremendous comeback in '09. Like a seasoned chess player, Cam is in great position to checkmate the naysayers.

Dennis Winn can be reached at 703-200-4928 or YaHeard40@gmail.com.