Jermaine Dupri Says He Created “Making It Rain” In Strip Clubs

Jermaine Dupri is making it known as the first rapper to make it rain.

The producer appeared on Thursday’s episode of “The Estelle Show,” revealing that he was the first person to start the widespread strip club ritual. Dupri reminisced about taking Talib Kweli to Magic City for the first time with his former girlfriend, Janet Jackson. While in the renowned club, the trio began tossing cash in the air, which was something Dupri initially introduced in his “Money Ain’t A Thang” music video alongside Jay-Z.

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“I actually was the person who created this because I did this first in the ‘Money Ain’t A Thing’ video. Me and JAY-Z are in the car throwing money throughout the whole video. That became my thing with that song. That became my thing going into these strip clubs,” he explained to host and singer Estelle.

According to the Grammy-nominated producer, the concept of pitching money in the air and allowing it to “rain” down was not immediately accepted. Even the exotic dancers weren’t fond of picking the money up once it hit the floor. However, Durpri says he took the “throwing money” move to several clubs, and it eventually caught on.

Fast forward to today, throwing money in strip clubs has become the standard. Countless records mention Dupri’s innovation. Travis Porter made an entire hit record out of the notion, titled “Make It Rain,” which was certified gold. Fat Joe and Lil Wayne also released a money-throwing anthem of the same name, with their version going platinum. According to the Atlanta-bred songwriter, everyone who has benefitted from the practice has him to thank.

“This is just my confirmation of me saying, ‘I know that I was the first person doing this,'” Dupri reiterated.