So-So Def mogul/producer Jermaine Dupri has been brought on board to produce an updated version of one of the most legendary collaborations of all time, "We Are the World."
According to MTV, Dupri was called on by Quincy Jones, the history-making original producer.
"It's called 'We Are the Future,' " Dupri told MTV. "All new artists [are gonna be on this version], it's the 20th anniversary of 'We Are the World.' Quincy Jones called me, he asked me to do it. We're just gonna make it something extravagant. We gonna try to re-create, follow in the footsteps of those who made a big record before, like Michael [Jackson], Quincy and Lionel Richie." The song will be recorded on February 13, the night of the Grammy Awards. After the ceremony, a big celebrity bash will be thrown, and participating artists will be pulled out periodically to record their verses in a nearby studio. Dupri plans to record the song at A&M Recording Studios, the same place "We Are the World" was made in 1985. "Hopefully Usher will be there, Kanye [West], Jay-Z hopefully, all the bigwigs," J.D. said. "[We want] to do what they did way back when. I'm looking forward to that. That's something you give your heart to. For Quincy to call me, that's my idol. I'm trying to make sure it's right." "We Are the World" was recorded in January 1985 after the American Music Awards. Besides the song's writers, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper were among those who participated in the musical coalition known as USA for Africa. The proceeds from the song went to famine relief in Africa.
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