During the early 1990s, successful music producer Jermaine Dupri started So So Def Records. The Atlanta-based label began at a time when Southern hip-hop music was just beginning to get a lot of attention. Dupri signed distribution deals with much-larger record companies like Columbia and Arista. This allowed him to focus on what he did best: finding talented unknown artists and producing hit music. Some of So So Def’s biggest stars included Da Brat, Lil Bow Wow, and Jagged Edge. Today So So Def Records is completely independent, and Jermaine Dupri is working hard to introduce a new generation of hip-hop stars.