Jermaine Dupri described a gem that links two realms of song no one could have anticipated seeing together: Mariah Carey and the Wu-Tang Clan. In an outspoken and amusing chat on the 150th episode of the R&B Money Podcast hosted by Tank and J Valentine, the hitmaker from Atlanta revealed how one of Mariah Carey's biggest records came to be, and let's say it began with quite the curveball. The moment happened during Dupri's very first session with Mariah, he said.
"She walked in the studio, she was like, 'I want to make a record like this,'" said Dupri, still clearly amused by the memory. What Carey played next was no grand lyric or pop chart-topper. It was the Wu-Tang Clan's gritty, iconic "C.R.E.A.M."
It was like Dupri was blindsided. "I'm like, what? Who are you? You want to sing over this?" he said with a laugh, re-experiencing his doubt. But Mariah wasn't playing. She doubled down, even queuing up another Wu-Tang track to drive home her vision. That wasn't just passing fancy but was a creative statement.
It's the kind of story that gets right in the guts of what makes legends like Carey tick: that fearless musical curiosity, the urge to braid genres together, and a tendency to throw anything into the mix if it seemed like a good idea and to find out what might result. For Dupri, it was the start of a long-lasting and lucrative creative alliance.
While Dupri didn't identify the song they wrote that day, the indication is in the ballpark: She had one of her greatest hits. And considering the chemistry paired with the kind of hit factory, these two later became (remember "We Belong Together" and a slew of other smash singles?), It's fair to say that this unexpected Wu-Tang diversion paid dividends in a big way.
It's a reminder that fine art can derive from bold, even unconventional, starting points. In a world that too often tries to pigeonhole artists into one sound or style, Carey's instinct to keep things liquid is what's kept her at the top of the charts for decades.
So the next time you hear one of Mariah's hit records, especially one that a Jermaine Dupri assistant produced, imagine some little Shaolin spirit echoing in the background. Because sometimes greatness starts with a beat from the streets and the guts to go ahead and belt right over it.
0 Comments