Before Keisha Lance Bottoms or Andre Dickens assumed office, Jermaine Dupri was recognized in certain circles as the “Mayor of Atlanta.” The music mogul has played a significant role in boosting Atlanta’s music scene, surprisingly, with Magic City, a renowned gentlemen’s club, serving as a primary source of inspiration for his work.
So important is the strip club culture to J.D. that he asserts that his girlfriends must be willing to go with him when he wants to go.
He recently revealed on “The Breakfast Club: with DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and Jess Hilarious that his on again, off again girlfriend Janet Jackson was one of his first partners to insist on going with him, helping him evolve his opinion on bringing ladies into his sacred space.
On the episode where J.D. was promoting the upcoming Freaknik documentary on Hulu, he was asked about a conversation he had on a video uploaded to Usher’s YouTube channel to promote the “Coming Home” album.
During the roundtable that featured Lil Jon, Gayle King, Cari Champion, and Raymond, Jermaine Dupri explained why it was important that his partner not be afraid to frequent strip clubs with him.
“I feel like if a woman can’t understand this [strip club culture, she won’t work with me],” he said. “It’s not even about getting with it, because you don’t do nothing. You just going to the strip club, girls getting naked, you could eat, the music playing, you don’t have to do anything. But if that is just too much for you … that means I’m too much for you, 100 percent.”
Charlamagne pressed Dupri about his statement, asking why this was a “deal breaker.”
The So So Def founder explained that having his partner with him erases suspicion and doubt that might arise if he returns home and “smells like the club.” He also emphasized that the strip club culture is deeply ingrained in him, serving as a space where he conducts business and relaxes. For him, if his partner cannot appreciate this aspect, they are essentially incompatible.
“If going to the strip club is too much for you, I’m too much for you,” Dupri stated.
Social media exploded, weighing in on his comments regarding his “deal breaker.”
“Nah I’m old school doc… I ain’t doing that. I don’t even like strip clubs anyway… would rather my lady strip for me! Y’all can have that life,” one person wrote.
Another added, “Weird behavior. That’s a petty deal breaker for a man that’s 5’4.”
“The deal breaker should be,” one comment read, “That he’s almost 60 & he still is obsessed wjth strip clubs.”
The Grammy winner then dropped the Jackson bomb on the room, shocking everyone with how down Janet was for him while the two were dating.
“When I was dating Janet, I tried to not take her,” he said. “I fought it for the longest. I wasn’t in the space mindset that I’m in right now.”
J.D. said he was “paying attention” back then because he was thinking about all of the women he might have been with who worked in the club and what might happen if they met his new girl, the famous baby sister of pop music’s most iconic family.
“I was thinking like, oh, if I take her in there, one of them girls going to tap me on my shoulder that I done been with, and she’s going to know,” said Dupri.
He added that the “Pleasure Principle” singer told him, “If this is what you do [I am down]. What you did in your past is your past. I’m with you now. Let me see what’s happening.”
Jackson then asked Dupri, “Why you want to go there every Monday?”
While “The Breakfast Club” was shocked that Janet hung out at Magic City, it seems that social media has known about Jackson’s love for watching dancers and eating chicken wings for years. The former couple were most recently photographed at Magic City in 2020.
MDRRR Jermaine Dupri a enmené Janet Jackson à Magic City
— IncogNEGRO (@AnthonyATLien) April 26, 2020
Juste visualisez le bail pic.twitter.com/qiwX9N6Qu0
“Jermaine Dupri used to take Janet Jackson to Magic City. He must have felt like GOD walking in the club with Janet on his arm,” one person joked.
Jermaine Dupri used to take Janet Jackson to Magic City. He must have felt like GOD walking in the club with Janet on his arm.
— ? (@YouGuyMyGuy) April 28, 2020
THIS NIGGA HAD JANET JACKSON THROWIN MONEY IN MAGIC CITY
— FEEL1N L1KE WAYNE (@H1MWARD) December 6, 2020
Jermaine Dupri Goated. Dated Janet Jackson and had her in magic city. If you don’t know how Goated that is you too young 😭😭
— The Hero 🤝🏾 (@Tae_hef) May 6, 2020
Jermaine and Janet started dating in 2002 for about seven years and broke up because the Atlanta native could not stop cheating on her. He admitted to his infidelity in her “Janet Jackson” documentary.
I need someone to compare the birth charts of Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri because what in the world is going on. How Sway? #JD pic.twitter.com/8yxwdv6JMM
— Gwen 💫 (@GabwithGwen) October 29, 2023
The two linked back up in 2023, but it is unclear if they are officially a couple.
