Jermaine Dupri debuted his first television show “The Rap Game” on the Lifetime network. Dupri enlisted the help of the So So Def team (Da Brat, Bryan Michael Cox, Johnta Austin, Usher, and Ludacris) to weigh in on tough decisions that will hopefully mold the emerging hip hop artists into superstars. The show highlights how Dupri picked five talented artists, ages 12-16, to battle it out for the winning perch.
Dupri executive produces along with Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere. Dupri’s work remains in the realm of young emerging artists, much like his idol Berry Gordy. There is no denying that Dupri has a proven track record of creating superstars (Kriss Kross, Lil Bow Wow, Da Brat, TLC.)
The five young hip hop artists consist of Lil’ Niqo, 15, San Diego, CA, Lil’ Poopy, 12, Brockton, MA, Miss Mulatto, 16, Atlanta, GA, Supa Peach, 12, and Young Lyric, 15, Houston, TX. According to Dupri, they were mostly found online due to having a strong social media presence, high Youtube numbers, viral media campaigns, and a large fan base. The first episode was explosive, ending with Dupri placing everyone in the order of who is leading the contest. Imagine being number five? The remaining episodes will see these rankings re-ordered based on the results of each episode. Tune in every Friday night on Lifetime television, 10PM/9PM Central.
Check out the photo gallery from the Atlanta viewing party at Suite Lounge:
