Grammy-winning Producer Jermaine Dupri Announces New Student Internship At Ideas Festival Emory
Jermaine Dupri, an Atlanta native, and founder of So So Def Recordings, announced an exciting new internship for Emory students during the keynote session of the inaugural Ideas Festival.
The internship will provide two undergraduate students with an opportunity to work with Dupri and So So Def Recordings during the spring 2025 semester.
“I’ve always been a person that gives younger individuals and people who want to be in this business a chance,” says Jermaine Dupri. “I’m looking for superstars that are not on the stage and I hope that I can find them in this So So Def/Emory intern partnership.”
Undergraduate students in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Goizueta Business School, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing are eligible to apply for the internship beginning later this fall. The selected students will earn academic credit as they partner with Dupri and a faculty mentor throughout the internship.
“Experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom are critical for Emory students to extend their knowledge,” says Branden Grimmett, vice provost for career and professional development and associate dean in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, who is working with Bridgette Gunnels, associate dean and director of Oxford College’s Center for Pathways and Purpose, to develop and administer the internship. “I am thrilled Jermaine Dupri is partnering with Emory to provide a unique and transformative learning experience for our students to explore the music industry.”
Hosted by Emory’s Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement on the Oxford College campus this past weekend, the Ideas Festival connects students and the broader community with impactful and innovative speakers and scholars, including scientists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and creators. Ken Carter, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology and the center’s founding director, says the festival is designed to spark important conversations and experiences for students and attendees.
“We are committed to creating meaningful connections between innovators, creators, and students,” says Carter. “This internship is a perfect example of the kind of knowledge sharing that bridges the gap between ideas and application, giving students a unique opportunity to engage with experts in a hands-on, impactful way.”
During the festival’s keynote session Friday evening, Dupri talked with Matt Whyte, host of the Sing for Science podcast, and Joycelyn Wilson, assistant professor of hip-hop studies and digital humanities in the School of Literature, Media and Communication at Georgia Tech. The trio discussed the forces that helped shape Atlanta’s unique identity as a thriving epicenter for hip-hop and R&B, transforming the city into a global culture phenomenon.
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.
