So So Def

Founding

So So Def Recordings was founded in Atlanta in 1993 by producer Jermaine Dupri. Dupri had already found success as the writer and producer behind Kris Kross, the teenage duo whose 1992 single “Jump” spent eight weeks at number 1 on the Hot 100. Their debut album “Totally Krossed Out” (1992) reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified four times platinum. Kris Kross were the first act signed to So So Def, though their albums were issued through Ruffhouse and Columbia. The new label signed a distribution deal with Columbia Records that lasted until 2002, and it worked across Southern rap, R&B and bass music.

Rise

One of the label’s first albums was Xscape’s “Hummin’ Comin’ at ’Cha,” released on October 12, 1993. It reached number 17 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. Chicago rapper Da Brat followed with “Funkdafied” on June 28, 1994. The album reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than one million copies, making her the first solo female rapper to be certified platinum. These two records established the label as a source of both rap and R&B hits from Atlanta.

Key releases

Dupri’s own album “Life in 1472” (1998) reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. Its single “Money Ain’t a Thang” featured Jay-Z. Jagged Edge’s “J.E. Heartbreak” (2000) debuted at number 8, topped the R&B albums chart and was certified double platinum, and its single “Let’s Get Married” reached number 11 on the Hot 100. Lil’ Bow Wow’s “Beware of Dog,” released on September 26, 2000, debuted at number 8 with 101,000 copies sold and was also certified double platinum. After the move to Arista, St. Louis rapper J-Kwon’s “Hood Hop,” released on April 6, 2004, reached number 7 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. Anthony Hamilton also recorded for the label.

Distribution changes and legacy

After the Columbia deal ended, So So Def moved through a series of partners: Arista from 2003 to 2005, Virgin from 2005 to 2007 and Island Def Jam from 2007 to 2009, followed by other arrangements. In April 2025 the label signed a distribution deal with Hybe America, the company led by Scooter Braun, and that year it also signed the Canadian R&B duo dvsn. So So Def is still active. Its run in the 1990s and early 2000s helped build Atlanta’s position in rap and R&B.