Jermaine Dupri

In response to Jermaine Dupri’s interview with Essence.com, an Island/Def Jam source has come forward and disclosed the following……

Via Page Six:

“After [his girlfriend] Janet Jackson’s album and tour bombed, he basically didn’t come back to work. He still collected a paycheck, but didn’t bother to do anything that he was supposed to do, like find artists, release records or actually show up.

Executives tried to talk to him, but he just lost heart.” Dupri was widely blamed for Jackson’s album flop as he insisted on letting her get her way on song selection and production of the release, “Discipline.”

The spy adds, “Very few producers have turned into good executives, with the exception of Dr. Dre.” A rep for Dupri’s boss, Island/Def Jam head L.A. Reid, declined to comment.

I can believe this!

But give it 6 months, I bet Jermaine will be sitting pretty in a newly “created” executive position.