Jermaine Dupri has a new project in the works that is sure to have eyes glued to television screens.
His latest production is a three-part docuseries connecting the dots between Atlanta’s culture, hip-hop and the allure of one of the city’s most talked-about strip clubs: Magic City.
“Magic City: An American Fantasy” is executive produced by Dupri, Drake’s production company DreamCrew Entertainment and others. The culturally influential landmark was established in 1985 by Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney.
It since has become a staple in hip-hop, having played a significant role in helping to launch the careers of artists. In other instances, it has been the perfect location to broker major deals between businessmen and women alike.
“Magic City is a second home for me. It’s the one place where celebrities, hustlers, politicians, and Atlanta locals all come together,” the So So Def executive told Deadline. “I’ve watched it evolve over the years from a local joint to an internationally recognized spot. It’s about time we tell this story the right way.”
But fans are baffled by his decision to collaborate with Drake, a Canadian-born artist, on a story that is undoubtedly an integral part of Atlanta’s story. On social media, early reactions to the docuseries announcement read:
“Did Future or Jeezy not pick up the phone? Drake cool but cmon.”
“Outta all the rappers that LIVE in Atlanta…JD failed.”
“Drake been riding Atlanta wave his entire career.”
“Luh me some Drake…but this ain’t his story to tell. Atlanta will not stand for this. Ima still watch tho.”
Dupri responded to the mixed reactions. “Seeing some of these comments about this magic city doc, let’s me know how many people are in Atlanta an have no history of the city and why the city is the way it is,” he wrote with no additional explanations.
The veteran music producer has been known to dabble in other creative endeavors, such as creating the popular contest series “The Rap Game,” which helped catapult Latto to widespread recognition.
While the emcee from Clayton County, Georgia, no longer has business dealings with Dupri, he still points to the hand he played in helping to launch her career.
Earlier this year, Dupri acknowledged that his “era” of music has slowly declined as he issued a prompt to younger artists to regain a sense of creativity.
