Music Producer Michael Mauldin, father of hip-hop mogul Jermaine Dupri, hit the stage at JCSU as a Lyceum Engagement Series speaker in December 2024. Mauldin began the night with a sparkly video originally played in 2021, when the music maverick was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, alongside his son, Dupri.
Why should you care?
Michael Mauldin is the former President of the Black Music Division at Columbia Records and served as an SVP of Columbia Records Group. His music production and management business were influential in the careers of Sister Sledge and Luther Vandross. He executive produced albums by Jagged Edge, Kenny Lattimore, Chante Moore, Kris Kross, Bow Wow and more.
Mauldin, a North Carolina native, was born in Murphy, North Carolina- a small town with one red light back then. Mauldin was able to leap from his humble beginnings into a world of fame and opportunity. He came to Charlotte’s historic Biddle Hall that night, to share his story of triumph, against the odds.
“It is important to thrive for everything you want to do in life,” Mauldin said.
How did the hip-hop and R&B juggernaut make his way to JCSU?
Dr. Tyler Bunzey, Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies at JCSU, invited Mauldin to campus for the Lyceum event inside Gambrell Auditorium. Bunzey says Mauldin's goal was to "curate the next generation of talent while talking about his story." Building a bridge toward mentorship was a major part of Bunzey’s mission.
According to Bunzey, "Mr. Mauldin, father of Jermaine Dupri, has a storied career in the industry from his early work as a manager for the pioneering Atlanta R&B group Brick to his position as the President of Black Music at Columbia Records. Often, the people behind the scenes are those who have the best ability to mentor young artists on the come up."
Bunzey wanted to match artistic talent on campus with one of Hip Hop's master minds. Bunzey himself has been in the trenches with JCSU's best and brightest.
"I’ve been working in the Cultural Studies program to bring professional arts training to our students including songwriting workshops, career fairs, and arts finance 101 sessions. Once I found the funding, it was a no-brainer to bring Mauldin here to highlight the incredible talent of our student body while giving them a once-in-a-lifetime experience to hear a music industry veteran talk about his process," Bunzey said.
During the Lyceum visit, Mauldin discussed how he "discovered" Alicia Keys and helped her select her stage name. Thanks to Mauldin, Keys went from Alicia Cook (birth name) to Alicia Keys, overnight. "Keys had a ring to it," Mauldin confided.
What is one takeaway for JCSU Students?
At the end of the day, Mauldin believes more value should be placed on what an individual achieves in his/her lifetime. "Even though I was from a small town, I never let that hold me back. It's not where you are from, it's where you're at. That was always my platform and my positioning," he revealed.
Mauldin said he strives to be the bridge, connecting past, present, and future, inspiring the next generation of performers to dream big and win.
How did JCSU student artists get in on the action?
After the captivating talk on stage, a cadre of JCSU students performed on stage with a repertoire that included Hip Hop and R&B covers and originals. These student performers were met with thunderous applause:
Lamar Chance (Freshman) Singer
Cover of Elmiene’s “Marking My Time”
Kyree Foster aka Ree2N (Freshman) Rapper
Original Song, “What Went Wrong”
Tanasia Kirby (Freshman) Singer
Cover of Cynthia Erivo’s “I’m Here”
Jasmine Woosley aka Master Q (Junior) Singer
Original Song, “Hands on Learner”
Isaiah Oxendine (Freshman) Singer
Cover of John Legend’s “All of Me”
Erik McAlister (Freshman) Singer and Trumpeter
Original Song, “Untitled”
*The Lyceum Engagement Series is organized by Dr. Leslie Clement (Honors Program), Dr. Patrick Martin (Provost & Chief Academic Officer) and the Lyceum Committee.
