(AllHipHop News) Jermaine Dupri has sought inspiration from Quincy Jones’ classic “We Are The World” after facing rejection from artists who have declined his invitation to appear on his charity song.
Dupri is producing the song, “Change,” inspired by Jones’ 1985 U.S.A for Africa song “We Are the World,” and has so far looped in artists including Johnta Austin, Ne-Yo, Kelly Rowland, Monica, Miguel, Gary Clark Jr., JoJo, Eric Bellinger and Angel.
But the hitmaker revealed that after several other artists rejected the opportunity to join the project, he was left desperately seeking inspiration after doubt set in.
“I’ve had a few people who rejected being on the song, a week ago those rejections had me in a f##ked up space,” he told The New York Post’s Page Six.
“I’m trying to do something good for the cause… so I had to get myself out of that funk. I’m a songwriter, so when someone rejects one of my songs, I start thinking the song sucks immediately.”
He continued: “That’s when I started reading. I read that when Quincy and Michael (Jackson) did We Are the World, Prince came to the studio, and he rejected being on the song. When I saw that, it relieved me because I’m like, ‘That’s why Prince wasn’t on the song, because he didn’t like the song.'”
Reading up on Jones’ journey reenergized the hitmaker and gave him the boost he needed.
“(I also read) Cyndi (Lauper) thought the song sounded like a soap commercial or something, and a couple of others said they didn’t love the song … So, that gave me my next week of confidence and I started reaching out to the Detroit Choir … It’s a song that represents this current time that we’re in,” the 47-year-old added.