Jermaine Dupri will be honored by the Otis Redding Foundation at its second annual King of Soul Music Festival.
The two-day festival will be held Sep. 8 and Sept. 9 in Macon, Georgia, to align with what would have been Otis Redding‘s 82nd birthday (Sept. 9).
The legendary producer, songwriter, artist and music executive will be presented with the Otis & Zelma Redding Award of Respect.
“We are thrilled to honor Jermaine Dupri at this year’s King of Soul Music Festival,” said Karla Redding-Andrews, vice president and executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation. “We have known JD since he was a young man visiting the Big ‘O’ Ranch with his Dad and are so proud of his remarkable contributions to the music industry as a songwriter, award-winning producer, DJ, CEO of So So Def and entrepreneur. He was very close to my brother, Otis III, who passed away in April, and credits him with teaching him to make beats. JD aligns with Otis Redding’s spirit and the Foundation’s mission to inspire and empower young artists.”
Dupri added, “The Reddings and Otis III became my musical family before the world knew of Jermaine Dupri. While I understand the family is honoring me, in my mind, I am also honoring them for all they have allowed me to do, see and be a part of at a time when they didn’t have to.”
The 2023 King of Soul Music Festival activities include An Evening of Respect concert featuring Orchestra Noir (Sept. 8) and a Big “O” Homecoming Show & Dance (Sept. 9).
At the festival, there will be a fundraiser for the Otis Redding Foundation and the Otis Redding Center for the Arts, which had a groundbreaking ceremony last year. The new center will be a multipurpose space committed to musical education for students ages 3 to 18.
Additionally, the Center will be equipped with learning labs, collaborative spaces, practice rooms, and a stage for student performances.
In June, Rhino released a limited vinyl box set featuring all four of Otis Redding’s posthumous albums, Otis Forever: The Albums & Singles (1968-1970). The six-LP set also included mono versions of 24 singles from those albums.
In 2024, Redding will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The King of Soul will posthumously be inducted as part of the Live Theatre/Live Performance category. Brandy and Toni Braxton will also be honored next year.
As for Dupri, he teamed with rapper Curren$y to release a joint project, For Motivational Use Only, Vol. 1. The collaborative EP, released in April, included features from 2 Chainz and T.I.
In the R&B world, Dupri was recently spotted in the studio with Ari Lennox and Muni Long, among others. Dupri previously co-wrote and co-produced Lennox’s No. 1 hit “Pressure,” which appeared on her sophomore album, age/sex/location.