Dupri said he left his managing position with Mariah because he didn’t want the job to eventually jeopardize their friendship. He stated that everyone assumed that he was dropped rather than assuming other options.
“That’s the story that people make because that’s what people—People think in their minds that that’s exactly how it has to happen,” Dupri said. “It can’t be—It just can’t possibly be that Jermaine woke up one morning and didn’t want to do it no more. That just can’t possibly happen, right? That just can’t possibly be the thing. Like he had to get dropped because that’s what happens in the world. Niggas get dropped. But nobody else has a mind to say ‘You know what? I don’t really wanna do this shit no more. I got other shit I want to do. But I’m not that smart, right? I couldn’t do that. That’s impossible.’ That’s what I’m saying. It’s crazy that people just make these stories. I wasn’t dropped. I chose that—I chose to do this because me and Mariah are friends, right? First and foremost. And we make hit records in the studio…This was the ongoing joke. I have a relationship with Mariah better than her and her husband. I’ve known her longer than her and her husband known each other… With that being said, you don’t want to fuck that up. I saw a lot of things happening with inside of me being her manager that could have fucked that up.”