Thug Life Army

Inspiration from the streets and the booming beat laboratories of Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans and all points in between, the upcoming So So Def/Virgin collection "JERMAINE DUPRI PRESENTS... YOUNG, FLY & FLASHY VOL. 1" promises to inject a heavy dose of Southern flavor into the national hip-hop & rap scene at its release on July 19.

Virgin Records Urban Music President Jermaine Dupri noted that the album continues a decade of Southern-based talent development that has yielded both crossover hits and music for the hardcore. Says super-producer Dupri, who has helmed current smash hits for superstar artists like Mariah Carey and Usher: "''Young, Fly & Flashy'' is the definition of myself and the lifestyle of So So Def. This collection is an introduction of the new, up-and-coming So So Def artists: Young Capone, T. Waters and The Kid Slim, among others."

The first single and video release from the collection is the club banger "Gotta Getcha" from Dupri himself. Concurrently, the streets will continue to bubble with two additional tracks: the serious-as-a-heart-attack battle rhyme "I''m Hot" by Young Capone with West Coast rapper Daz and T-Roc guesting; and "Throw''d Off," by T. Waters. The song "I Think They Like Me," by Franchise featuring So So Def kingpin Dupri, has already been leaked pre-release and is currently heating up mixtapes and underground rap radio mix shows from coast to coast. Dupri also heads up "10 Toes," with help from rap artists J-Kwon, Stat Quo, Slim and Daz.

Both regionally established and new artists have a turn in the spotlight on "JERMAINE DUPRI PRESENTS... YOUNG, FLY & FLASHY VOL. 1." Atlanta hip-hop vet Pastor Troy contributes "Just To Fight;" and KP & Envy, best known for their gold-certified 1997 single "Swing My Way," appear in "Hands Up." Kavious'' "Kodak Moment," bubbling out of the Memphis underground, is also a highlight, with featured appearances by Bun B and Pastor Troy. Rounding out the artist line-up is Miss B ("Grown Man), Kato ("So What") and Young Capone's "Young, Fly & Flashy."

The best-selling compilations on the So So Def label have acted as national launching pads for young Southern talent ever since the release of the 1996 album "So So Def Bass All Stars, Vol. 1," which was gold-certified within eight weeks of its chart entry. From that album, Ghost Town DJ's unique beat-ballad "My Boo" emerged as a cross-format hit single, as did "Whatz Up, Whatz Up" by Playa Poncho featuring L.A. Sno.

Two hit singles broke out from the second installment of the series, "So So Def Bass All Stars, Vol. II," released in 1997, "Love You Down" by INOJ, and "Freak It" by Lathun, featuring Da Brat. Reviews in Vibe, The Source and Rap Pages all called attention to the increasingly diverse nature of the Southern music represented in the series, as Volume II introduced Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith as a producer, in the same year that he and Playa Poncho made their chart debut in the group Lil Jon and the East Side Boys.

"So So Def Bass All Stars, Vol. III" was highlighted by the 1998 gold-certified single "Time After Time" by INOJ, and an early introduction to the Ying Yang Twins; Vibe noted that the collection took "bass music's raw, dirty, rump-shakin'', one-leg-up street style to a higher level." Throughout the entire series, seminal stars of Southern bass like DJ Kizzy Rock, M.C. A.D.E., DJ Smurf, Corina and Gucci Crew II all shared the stage with developing talent.

The 2002 album "So So Def Presents: Definition of a Remix" was a retrospective of a hit-making label and an all-star party, with new versions of a pair of hits by the double-platinum act Jagged Edge, "Where the Party At?" and "Let's Get Married," as well as a remix of Dru Hill's 1997 platinum No. 1 R&B/No. 4 pop single "In My Bed." P. Diddy, Snoop Dogg, DJ Run and Clipse, among others, joined Jermaine Dupri, Jagged Edge, Da Brat, and Bow Wow on the album.

Concludes Dupri: "So So Def has had a lot of success with compilations over the years when Lil Jon was my A&R guy. He created the compilation series, but really focused more on bass music. ''Young, Fly & Flashy'' is more about today's hip-hop sound. It's heavy on the So So Def branding so people will know and recognize that So So Def is still a strong presence in the streets -- we''ll be here another 20 years."

"JERMAINE DUPRI PRESENTS... YOUNG, FLY & FLASHY VOL. 1" Represents Best of Southern Urban Energy, Culture and Lifestyle

CD, in Stores July 19, Is First So So Def Release on Virgin