If you offered to pay my student loans off in full in return for the answer as to where Dem Franchise Boyz are, I’d tell you to drop this check off to Sallie Mae at my mailbox on your way out the door. This necessarily isn’t about them though. The sole reason for what’s seen here stems from Jermaine Dupri and So So Def’s 20th anniversary concert this past weekend in Atlanta. 

So So Defis now 20 years old and Jermaine Dupri pulled out all the stops last night in Atlanta to celebrate the anniversary and created a great night in Hip-Hop. To check out clips from the show hit the jump…

A commercial for the 20th anniversary for So So Def just went viral, and the reunion concert features “literally” everybody! Guests include Bow Wow, Da Brat, Kris Kross, Jagged Edge, Xscape, Anthony Hamilton, Lil Jon, Dem Franchize Boyz, Bass All-Stars, Bone Crusher, J-Kwon, Dondria, Young Bloodz, and the newest signee Fresco Kane. Check out the promo video to see what JD has in store for February 23 at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre above.

Jermaine Dupri introduces his latest signee to So So Def/Epic Records, Fresco Kane, in the new video for “Hot” off his upcoming mixtape ESTL due mid December. Check out the visuals from the East St. Louis rapper after the jump.

Mariah Carey has linked up with Rick Ross and Meek Mill for her new single, “Triumphant (Get ‘Em).” The Jermaine Dupri – Bryan Michael Cox produced track should debut sometime early next month.

Read More About The Track Below

Having either Pharrell Williams or Jermaine Dupri by your side and help guide your singing career would be a dream for any recording artist, but to have both industry legends having your back must feel pretty damn good. That’s the fortunate situation 25-year-old singer Leah LaBelle is currently in, as the Epic Records signee can be seen at any show and you’ll see JD and Skateboard P right by her side. Although it’s nice to have those two by her side, it’s the Seattle native who paved her own way to where she is now. From auditioning as a teen several years ago on American Idol to getting signed by L.A Reid of Epic Records to dropping her first single entitled, “Sexify” (complimented with her first music video) off her upcoming debut album, Labelle is steadily leaving her footprints (whether in heels or sneakers) and making a name for herself. The self-described tomboy-turned-lady is gearing up for her debut album, which is currently in its finishing touches as of now, and is ready for an end-of-year release. KarenCivil.com caught up with the fun-loving, “Sexify” singer (minus her “dads” by her side. More on that later!) and chatted about being a tomboy, basketball, what is sexy, what to expect from her debut album, her relationship with JD/Pharrell/L.A Reid, and much more.

Interview by Michael Nguyen

It seems with any urban artist you meet nowadays, they all share one thing in common: their love for all-things Michael Jackson. From early Jackson 5 recordings of “Ill Be There” to “ABC” and then to solo pop superstardom, MJ was the man for all the little kids growing up aspiring to be in the music biz. Call it the “MJ rule” if you want. That rule applies to Brandon Hines, the authentic R&B/Soul singer who is fittingly from Motown. Growing up in Detroit and being introduced to the soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and Jodeci to name a few, the latest Epic Records signee Hines has been working on filling in the rhythms and blues void that’s been somewhat in the grey area lately with today’s pop-sounding, crossover influence. The smooth vocalist with the baritone is hoping to bring a sense of soul, emotion and feeling through the notes he belts out –something that will make females feel sexy listening to and have the fellas wanting to up their game.

Interview by Michael Nguyen

Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri’s protégée Leah LaBelle makes her introduction to the world in her debut video for “Sexify.” Leah is an R&B singer, currently signed to Epic Records/So So Def Recordings. LaBelle was the twelfth place finalist on the third season of American Idol. The video was directed by Sarah Chatfield, with cameos from both Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri.

The “American Idol” alum will release her debut in late summer/early fall. You can preview five tracks from the album including “So Hot,” “Make Me Get Up,” “What Do We Got Lose,” and “Mr. Scissors” below.