Jermaine Dupri has a huge number of accolades to his name, and he’s now laid claim to being the originator of the action of “making it rain.”
via: Vibe
During an interview with Apple Music’s Estelle Show, the So So Def founder claimed to have started the money move in the 1990s. Dupri pointed to his “Money Ain’t A Thing” video with JAY-Z as the first time someone threw money on a mainstream level.
“Talib Kweli talks about the first time that he ever came to Atlanta,” JD expressed. “He went to Magic City with me and Janet [Jackson]. They’re throwing the money in the air and people seeing that, ‘Make it rain.’ I actually was the person who created this because I did this first in [1998’s] ‘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.
“And I remember going to the club throwing the money,” he continued. “The first time I ever threw the money in the air, I probably threw a thousand dollars on the floor. And the girl at the strip club said, ‘You want me to get down on the floor and get my money?’ She didn’t understand what was happening.”
JD explained that he knew he was the first person to make it rain because his actions were often met with confusion.
“I tried this a couple of places where I was out throwing money, and people weren’t,” he added. “It wasn’t a thing for them, they didn’t understand what was happening. And this is just my confirmation of me saying, ‘I know that I was the first person doing this.’”
However, contrary to JD’s claims, the zeitgeist credits a couple other rappers with being the first to make it rain. According to Dictionary.com, Lil Wayne and Fat Joe’s 2006 smash, “Make It Rain,” popularized the term. The outlet also credited 2010 tracks “Act A Fool” by Lil Jon and Travis Porter’s “Make It Rain,” as expanding the term’s relevancy. Due to these songs, making it rain has taken on multiple definitions, such as “to earn lots of money” or “to make something very successful.”
