After contributing to the success of Mariah Carey and Usher this year, super producer Jermaine Dupri declared that he's underappreciated despite his numerous achievements.

"The thing I'm going through is probably like the same thing that Little Richard and all these other artists go through. I hear about them, saying, 'Oh damn, you ain't gonna give me nothing till I die,'" Dupri told the Associated Press. "I feel like I'm one of those types of great people that's just going to have to wait till it's all over with for people to really sit around and talk about it."


Despite a stellar track record, JD seldom receives the same attention other A-list producers garner. Perhaps even more bothersome is that some of JD's most prominent contributions were snubbed at the Grammys this year. Usher's Confessions, on which JD produced several tracks, lost to Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company for Best Album and didn't win any major categories.

"I don't mind losing to Ray Charles, but at the same time, the way I look at things is, me and Usher might not make another better album than this. And if we don't, we missed our opportunity," JD said. "To me, people look at me like, 'You'll do it again; don't worry about this time.' No, I want it now, everything now."

JD has his hands full these days. The producer recently opened a restaurant in Atlanta, is in talks to open a hotel and plans on releasing a book. The book would serve as a manual to youngsters aspiring to make it in the music business. This week, JD dropped his latest CD, Young, Fly & Flashy, and Vol. 1. The CD features Dupri and host of artists signed to Virgin and So So Def.

"I feel like I've done my first layer," said Dupri. "The next layer is to release records and make sure that the records aren't just duds when they come out and they do what they gotta do, and that I bring some stars in the building."

Jermaine Dupri's Young, Fly & Flashy, Vol.1 featuring Da Brat, Daz Dillinger, Bun B, Pastor Troy and Bow Wow is in stores now.

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