ATLANTA, GA (February 18, 2025) – Four Emory University undergraduate students have been selected for a remarkable internship opportunity with GRAMMY®-winning producer and Songwriters Hall of Famer Jermaine Dupri and his iconic record label, So So Def. Initially planning to select only two interns, Dupri expanded the opportunity after recognizing the outstanding talent among the applicants, ultimately choosing Ella Furgeson, Luccas Perez, David Qiu and Emmett Roth from a competitive pool of 38 candidates.
Perez is an Oxford College student and plans to continue into the Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Furgeson, Roth and Qui are all students at Goizueta Business School.
For over three decades and fresh off of winning a GRAMMY® with Muni Long, alongside Bryan Michael Cox, for "Made For Me," Dupri and So So Def have played a pivotal role in shaping the hip-hop and R&B landscape, launching the careers of artists like Usher, Bow Wow and Xscape. The six-week internship, scheduled for the spring 2025 semester, will provide the students with direct exposure to the inner workings of one of the most influential labels in the industry.
“Over 25 years ago and before many of my label peers, we began offering college students the opportunity to earn college credit through our So So Def Internship Program,” says Dupri. “I’m excited to build on this legacy and to welcome our incoming class of 2025, the future leaders of the music industry.”
The internship was first announced in September 2024 at the Emory Ideas Festival, hosted by Emory’s Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, which helps students connect their academic studies to real-world impact. A collaboration between Emory’s Pathways Center and the Center for Pathways and Purpose at Oxford College, the program is designed to give students hands-on learning experiences beyond the classroom.
“The cornerstone of Emory’s high impact, experiential learning is the connection between the practice, or the work, and the learning,” says Bridgette Gunnels, associate dean and director of Oxford’s Center for Pathways and Purpose. “This opportunity is more than working alongside Jermaine Dupri — it's a deep dive into Atlanta music history and hip-hop legacy, building core communication skills and strategies, connecting the dots between industry standards and innovations while discovering a sense of purpose.”
Furgeson, a DJ/producer from Fort Worth, Texas, is particularly excited about the internship and opportunity to be part of So So Def’s storied legacy. “So So Def is responsible for creating music, fashion and videography trends while constantly giving back to Atlanta,” says Furgeson, a sophomore in Goizueta Business School. “Jermaine Dupri built a culture defined by ‘and’ rather than ‘or.' His innovative and unbounded approach speaks to me as a person and as a creative.”
Roth, a New York native, credits the Emory class “Music 200: Music, Culture and Society” as some of the best coursework he’s taken in preparation for the internship. He explained that the class helped him view music in a new light. “Understanding that everyone has their own personal relation and identity surrounding music is critical when working in the music industry,” says Roth, a second-year student in Goizueta Business School.
Aspiring musician Perez, from Broward County, Florida, is most excited about the opportunity to step into a professional studio environment for the first time. “Getting that firsthand experience with the tools and processes of larger-scale productions would be a huge step for me,” says Perez, a second-year student at Oxford. “On top of that, working with Jermaine Dupri is an incredible opportunity. His legacy in the industry speaks for itself, and I’m eager to learn from someone with his level of expertise and vision.”
Qiu, an artist from California's Bay Area, is eager to gain deeper insight into the business side of a powerhouse record label. “So So Def has been at the forefront of identifying and developing talent for decades. Being in that environment and learning from industry leaders is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” says Qiu, a fourth-year student in Goizueta Business School.
The students will earn academic credit while working closely with Dupri and a faculty mentor. Additionally, they will be enrolled in an internship course co-developed by Oxford faculty, specifically tailored to the So So Def experience.
ABOUT JERMAINE DUPRI:
Jermaine Dupri, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is one of the most successful producers in the music industry. He has established a prolific career as a hip-hop artist, award-winning producer, songwriter, author, DJ, and Chairman and Founder of So So Def, which he created in 1993.
Rather than impacting only one lane, Jermaine Dupri has changed the course of R&B, hip-hop, and pop throughout an illustrious career earmarked by some of the most recognizable hits of all-time. The GRAMMY® Award-winning iconic songwriter, producer, rapper, artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has powered game-changing and chart-breaking smashes such as Mariah Carey’s 6x-platinum “We Belong Together,” Usher’s 3x-platinum “Nice & Slow,” Xscape’s platinum “Just Kickin’ It,” his own “Money Ain’t A Thang” [feat. JAY-Z], and countless others. “We Belong Together” not only toppled the Billboard Hot 100 for the year, but it also emerged as “the song of the decade” and “fifteenth most popular song of all-time,” according to Billboard. It took home “Best R&B Song” and “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” at the 2006 GRAMMY® Awards. Additionally, Usher’s “Confessions Part II” recently topped Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century coming in at number 1.
At the helm of So So Def Recordings as Founder, he has built a catalog of classic albums, including Da Brat’s - the first solo female rapper to go platinum - debut and historic album Funkdafied; Jagged Edge’s double-platinum J.E. Heartbreak; Anthony Hamilton’s platinum Comin’ From Where I’m From; and more. Simultaneously, he has launched JD’s Vegan as a mega-popular plant-based ice cream alternative available in major retailers such as Walmart. Plus, he notably stands out as the second rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame® following JAY-Z. Meanwhile, the GRAMMY® Museum paid homage to JD and So So Def with a dedicated exhibit entitled Jermaine Dupri & So So Def, 25 Years Of Elevating Culture. He has also appeared on-screen in the Aretha Franklin movie Respect, Hip-Hop Family Christmas, and Step Up. His ability to stay connected to the cultural zeigiest is why he continues to remain relevant and develop new talent which is evident with the recent success of Ari Lennox’s “Pressure” becoming her highest charting solo single and Muni Long’s GRAMMY®-winning global and viral smash “Made for Me.” Speaking to his presence, Variety attested, “What isn’t recognized enough is his undeniable influence on the current cultural climate.” However, he never stops setting the pace for the entire game to follow.
ABOUT SO SO DEF:
So So Def houses over three decades of influential smashes, casting a long shadow over Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop, and powering the careers of history-making superstars. Founded by Jermaine Dupri, in 1993, the label’s commitment to artist development and innovation set a precedent throughout the game for countless independent-minded entrepreneurs to eventually follow. Dupri launched So So Def with the seminal debut from game-changing R&B girl group Xscape, Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha. The album notably went platinum and spawned the definitive “Just Kickin’ It.” Emerging as an arena force, the quartet dropped the platinum Off The Hook [1995] and platinum Traces Of My Lipstick [1998]. Along the way, So So Def surpassed numerous benchmarks. The label debuted Da Brat’s debut LP, Funkdafied, enshrining her as “the first female solo rapper to go platinum.” After signing Jagged Edge, So So Def released the group’s double-platinum J.E. Heartbreak [1999], platinum Jagged Little Thrill [2001], and gold Hard [2003]. Additionally, it ignited the career of 17-time GRAMMY® Award nominee Anthony Hamilton with the platinum Comin’ from Where I’m From [2003] and gold Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ [2005]. In September 2005, Dupri became the first person to produce the Top 3 singles on the US R&B chart by way of Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off,” and Bow Wow’s “Let Me Hold You.”
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