Producer signs exclusive deal with Arista; So So Def label moves from Columbia to Arista

NEW YORK - Jermaine Dupri, who has produced hits for Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, TLC and others, has been named a senior vice president of Arista Records. <br> <br> The deal, which was announced Tuesday, also moves Dupri&#39;s Atlanta-based So So Def record label from Columbia Records and Sony Music to Arista and makes the 30-year-old an exclusive producer for BMG artists. BMG is Arista&#39;s parent company. <br> <br> ``Jermaine has produced some of the greatest names in contemporary music, and I welcome the opportunity to bring him into the Arista family,&#39;&#39; said Arista President Antonio ``L.A.&#39;&#39; Reid, who has known Dupri for more than a decade. <br> <br> Among the artists on Dupri&#39;s So So Def label are platinum R&B group Jagged Edge and teen rapper Bow Wow. <br> <br> Dupri is also a Grammy-nominated rapper; he made two albums for Columbia Records. He will continue recording at Arista. <br> <br> ``I am very happy to join the Arista family and to continue the legacy that So So Def has created over the past 10 years,&#39;&#39; Dupri said. ``I feel I bring a lot to the table, and am definitely happy to do what I have to do in Arista&#39;s very comfortable space.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Dupri recently made news when tax documents revealed he owed more than $2.5 million to the federal government. Dupri has disputed the amount the IRS says he owes.