Haitian born and self-taught musician Jerry “Wanda” Duplessis is the genius and creative power behind some of the classics in hip hop and R&B today. Before his first hard hitting collaboration “Ready or Not”, with the Fugees, Jerry had no idea he would be one of the most astounding producers of our time. With 3 Grammy Awards and 150 hit songs, Jerry is proving talent overcomes all challenges. His humble beginnings have helped to keep him focused on his passion for music. Jerry along with his cousin Wyclef and friends Lauryn HIll and Pras Michel knew they needed to bring an extra edge to hip hop, which led to one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, “The Score” .

Mixing his Haitian background with his love for hip hop and soul, he helped to create an innovative group, who tested boundaries of music with their love for old school samples and fresh energy. From that point on Jerry has dominated the music industry by creating hits for everyone from Whitney Houston to Mick Jagger. To add to his astounding list of accomplishments he owns one the most in demand studios, Platinum sounds, which frequently has visits from LL Cool J and U2.  Like Jerry says “In my studio, there is not one star, everyone in the studio is a star.” This drive and focus has helped him stay humble and stay true to what he believes in. What makes Jerry stand out from the rest is his constant focus on the music and the passion behind it.   – Jasmine Hampton and Zania Black