Da Brat Is "Grateful" Jermaine Dupri Didn't Force Her To Change Look Early On

BY Erika Marie 2.5K Views
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Da Brat, Jermaine Dupri
The rapper admitted that at the beginning of her career she wanted to be the third member of Kris Kross as other women were showing "T 'n A."

The tomboy look was the style back in the 1990s and early 2000s for many women entering the R&B and Hip Hop arenas. We saw artists like Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, and Left Eye interpolate streetwear with sex appeal, and while oozing sensuality wasn't at the top of Da Brat's list at the time, she is still grateful that she was given the opportunity to express herself as she saw fit.

In a recent interview, Da Brat took a walk down memory lane, revealing that So So Def founder and her longtime friend Jermaine Dupri didn't force her to strip down like many of her peers or change her look to boost sales.

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“I had my pants backward, cut a hole in my baseball cap, stuck my ponytail through it — I wanted to be the third member of Kris Kross,” Da Brat explained to HipHopDX. “So I’m grateful that I had a producer like Jermaine Dupri who did not try to change me and say, ‘Hey, in order for you to be famous or sell records or become somebody, you need to show your [t*ts and ass].’ So I am blessed that he let me be myself, I blended right in with them."

“I was a tomboy back then," Brat continued before speaking about her sexuality. Last year, the rapper came out as gay and has been planning her wedding to fiancée Jesseca Dupart. "I didn’t know I was into girls back then, I just thought I was a tomboy. I was never attracted to women until around maybe eighteen. So, yeah. And I’m grateful that I have someone now who shows me how to be a better person.”

Brat and Dupart put their romance center stage on their WeTV reality series, Brat Loves Judy. You can check out the trailer for the show below.

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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